


Finding Home

by ElisaPhoenix



Series: Finding Home [1]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fennecs (Dragon Age), M/M, Minor Fenris/Hawke, Other, sibling-like relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-09-24 15:38:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 30,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17103338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElisaPhoenix/pseuds/ElisaPhoenix
Summary: What if Dorian wasn't the only one to come to Haven after the events in Redcliffe? He brings a companion with him. His partner in crime as it were. So the Inquisition gains not one but two new powerful allies. **Final chapter updated!!**"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life." ~Richard Bach





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who wants a temporary visual of Elisa (she is currently being drawn by a friend for me) look up Velvet Crowe from Tales of Berseria. Elisa looks very similar to her, less animeish. I've had Elisa's look in mind before Berseria came out though.

“So, Sparkler…who’s your friend?”

Dorian looks up from his task of retrieving dinner and raises an eyebrow at Varric. Of course his acquaintance would raise questions, even more so that she was with him. An evil Tevinter magister--which he certainly was not a magister, but Southerners didn’t seem to know the difference or care--bringing a strange girl with him when he joined the Inquisition? He might have been able to get by without the questions, but the girl wielded a strange weapon. Not to mention the red eyes. Her eyes are what had everyone on edge. It usually meant red lyrium, but no, it was her natural eye color.

“Are you genuinely curious or do you just want to know if red lyrium has a part?” The mage returns his attention to acquiring the slop they called stew, and then straightens after filling a second bowl.  
The dwarf shrugs at his question. “Both I guess. Have to make sure, what with my record with the stuff.”  
Fair enough, Dorian thought. “It was the first thing I checked for. No lyrium of any kind.”  
“Did you hire her as your personal bodyguard?”  
Dorian snorts. “She watches my back and I return the favor. If you earn her trust, she will watch yours too.” He pauses at the thought. “She may watch it anyway. As long as you don’t give her reason, she is harmless and a powerful ally.”  
Varric chuckles. “Do I even want to know?”  
“Ask Iron Bull how he got a bloody nose.”  
“That was her?!” 

Varric sputters at the mage’s retreating form. Dorian’s companion may be small but she certainly packed a punch. Iron Bull had approached her while the mage was a few feet away in a conversation with the Herald, and while Dorian could not hear their conversation, he was sure whatever the Qunari said warranted the punch in the face he received. Bull had actually staggered from the blow and when he pulled his hand away from his face, he laughed when he saw blood. If he wasn’t Qunari, Dorian would have been concerned for the man’s sanity. When he asked his companion about the display, she said nothing and he didn’t pry. He probably didn’t want to know.  
Dorian carefully weaves his way back to his shared cabin, approaches the young girl leaning against the side of it, and hands her one of the bowls of stew before leaning beside her.

“I tested it for poison. I’m still alive.”  
Her eyebrows furrow “For now.”  
The mage laughs. “You are a delight.”

The two eat their meal in comfortable silence in addition to watching whatever small amount of activity happened in or around the herbalist’s cabin. It really wasn’t much, and it got boring…quickly. Dorian was seriously considering dragging his charge away from her place amongst the shadows of their cabin and into the tavern to see if that would earn some kind of reaction. That would only amuse him for so long though, and he wasn’t willing to risk the trust that took him weeks to earn.

“Elisa-“ Dorian starts.  
“I’m not picking a fight with Bull.”  
“Oh, you’re no fun.” The man takes her empty bowl. “Perhaps we can turn in early tonight? We have an actual bed. Might as well enjoy it while we can. I’m sure our dear Herald will drag us off somewhere cold and wet.”  
“If you hog the bed, I’m kicking you off.”  
“Don’t lie. You love me too much.”

Elisa ignores him and walks inside while the mage returns their empty bowls to their rightful destination. He was glad he wasn’t the one who had the chore of washing dishes, and he almost felt sorry for whatever poor soul had to. Almost. If anyone caught wind of any amount of empathy from him, he might get roped into the horrendous and painfully boring task. _No thank you_ , Dorian thought as he made it back into his wooden abode and inside, finding his younger companion sitting cross-legged on their bed, already dressed in her sleeping robe, and flipping through one of his personal books. Specifically the one he kept on his person. She must have pilfered it off of him outside.

“Do you make it a habit to steal someone’s personal journal?”

Dorian nearly missed the look of mortification that crossed Elisa’s face as he pulled his tunic over his head. The book wasn’t that kind of journal, simply notes he had taken, but he wasn’t the type to pass up the opportunity to tease her. He was the only one who could and not end up sporting a bloody nose after all. Once he was rid of the top half of his ensemble, he turns back to Elisa to find her meekly--an expression that actually surprised him, she hardly conveyed herself--holding his journal out to him. He lets a few moments pass before waving away the book, earning a curious expression from the girl. Two different emotions in a span of a couple of minutes? He _might_ be starting to feel a little special.

“It’s not a diary sorora. You are welcome to it.” Dorian nearly bites his tongue at the Tevene word he had let slip but she didn’t seem to notice. The realization that crossed her features was thankfully at his banter.  
“You were teasing.”  
Dorian smiles. “Just a little. You know I adore you.”

He plants a soft peck on her forehead, and then sifts through his bag for something more comfortable to wear to bed. Once he finds something suitable, he changes and joins Elisa on the bed. Changing in front of her was very briefly a concern when they first started traveling together. Not for his benefit, he didn’t care, but for hers. Dorian had very little when he took her in and so they shared almost everything. Even his bedroll. It was a tight fit, but she didn’t seem to mind. When he voiced his concern about changing in front of her, she told him she wasn’t bothered by it, then proceeded to change in front of _him_. Of course, clothing was one thing they didn’t share so they had bought her the bare necessities in Redcliffe with money they looted off their enemies. Their task to collect said money is when Dorian truly saw Elisa fight. Her abilities and strength were both unnerving and beautiful. They were a formidable pair once they grew familiar with each other’s fighting habits.

“Unlike you, I need my beauty sleep. You can look through that whenever you want.”

Dorian shoos the younger off the bed and- admittedly- flops into bed with a groan of appreciation as Elisa returns the book to his belongings. Their belongings really. Most of what they had was because of the enemies she cut down, not to say he didn’t take down a good amount himself, but before her the money he came across kept him fed. After her, things were a little easier until they joined the Inquisition. Now they had a bed.  
It seemed sharing with Elisa had become the norm, they didn’t think twice about possibly asking for a separate abode for her. If Dorian was completely honest, he didn’t mind the company. The shared body heat was nice even if the body was female, he treasured their relationship…and it was also refreshing to be looked at as a friend instead of an evil Tevinter blood mage.  
A dip in the bed interrupts his thoughts as Elisa crawls over him and then curls into his side after slipping under the blankets. It didn’t take long for sleep to take them after that, and they had been so exhausted that neither had moved an inch in their sleep, and neither had heard the Herald enter their cabin the following morning.

“If everyone saw the two of you now, they probably wouldn’t look down their noses at you anymore.”

Both red and grey eyes snap open and Dorian reflexively catches Elisa’s sleeping robes before she manages to lunge at their ‘intruder’ and inflict any harm. Her reaction wasn’t a regular occurrence but the Altus expected it nonetheless, and Nolan thankfully seemed unperturbed. Thank the Maker for small mercies.

“Are Southerners so barbaric that knocking is unheard of?”  
Nolan smirks. “I did knock. Repeatedly.”

Once Elisa fully wakes and settles, Dorian rubs at his face with his free hand as he sits up. He then realizes who is in the cabin and seeing him unkempt. There goes the illusion that he woke up perfect.

“Can we help you Herald?”  
“Be ready to leave in an hour. We’re going back to the Hinterlands.” With that said, Nolan exits the cabin and Dorian glances at his bedmate.  
“Perhaps I should have let you maim him.”

Elisa snorts in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Before anyone flips their lid, the relationship between Dorian and Elisa is strictly platonic. I am not trying to pair them. There will probably be some background Dorian/Male Trevelyan.  
> *Sorora is a made up Tevene word and will be translated in later chapters*  
> Dorian’s speech pattern is a little hard to write so I’m sorry if he seemed a little off. Now and in future chapters. Elisa is a personal OC (I honestly would have a ball hanging out with Dorian. He’s refreshing.)  
> Please let me know what you think so far. Also be nice. I accept constructive criticism, not offensive. Offensive will be deleted.


	2. Chapter 2

They had completed the tasks Dennet’s family had asked of them, recruited said man and his horses, and now the Herald was getting a feel for the horses using Seanna’s obstacles. This left Varric, Elisa, and Dorian waiting near the stables. Well Dorian and Varric were. Elisa was roaming the farm, fascinated with the druffalo. All of Thedas’s beasts interested her, fennec foxes seeming to be her favorite so far, and took whatever chance she could get to study them. With Dorian’s approval of course. She was smart enough to make sure the creatures were safe enough.

“You know, I camped in these hills when I first arrived. That's right. Me. Camping.”  
“What? Spooky didn’t make things more bearable?”  
“She wasn’t much for conversation the first few days. I’m convinced she enjoyed watching me suffer.”  
“Yet the two of you are practically joined at the hip. How did you come across her anyway?”  
Dorian frowns. “I found her half-dead near a rift. Nearly got myself killed dragging her away from that, but I didn’t have the heart to leave her to the demons.”  
“So finding you alone in the Chantry…” Varric starts and the mage knew what he was wondering.  
“Elisa had just recovered. I wouldn’t let her help.”

A decision that annoyed the girl, but Dorian was firm so she didn’t argue further. Not only had she just recovered, he didn’t want her used against him when they confronted Alexius. He cared enough about her at the time that he might have hesitated if she were in danger. Not to mention the dreadful future he and the Herald saw. The inner circle weren’t the only ones they found. No, Dorian saw something in that future that still gave him nightmares. Elisa was loyal enough to the mage that she had actually gone looking for him in the year he ‘disappeared’. Her corpse lying in the throne room made that painfully obvious, and Alexius’s words still bothered him. _She was of no consequence,_ he had said. Dorian saw red for a while after that. It took some willpower not to attack the present Alexius when he and Nolan made it back to their time. After all was said and done and he returned to their campsite, he hugged her. She seemed to sense his inner turmoil so she said nothing and let him.

“Where’s our youngest?” Nolan asks as he returns with his horse and promptly dismounts. Varric nods toward a nearby field with a grin. “Currently being slobbered on.”

Sure enough, when the three look to the field, they find Elisa fighting a losing battle with a very affectionate druffalo. After a few more toe to head licks, she finally had enough and used a cloaking potion to make her getaway. A bellow of disappointment followed her escape and Dorian wrinkles his nose when she approaches them covered in druffalo spit. Nolan and Varric on the other hand were laughing so hard that tears were beginning to form.

“If I never see one of those…things again, it will be too soon.” Elisa flicks a glob of drool off one of her arms and watches it plop on the ground.  
“Can you manage until we make it to the camp by Lake Luthias?” the Herald asks with a snicker.  
“I’ve been covered in worse.”

The party hastily makes their way to the lake, and when they arrive, Dorian grabs one of Elisa’s arms and without warning; he tosses her into the lake and rinses his hand in disgust. Of course she would find the one druffalo that thought humans were fantastic and interesting things and had to show them by drowning them in an ocean of dribble. She soon breaks the surface of the water and brushes raven locks away from her face.

“Was that necessary?”  
Dorian sniffs. “You were starting to smell.”

The younger finishes her quick rinse before joining the others back on dry land, and follow the Herald down to camp. Elisa ignores the stares from the Inquisition agents as she plants herself on a log by the fire pit, and pointedly looks at Dorian until the mage starts a fire with a flick of his wrist. Varric procures a towel, likely from camp supplies, and Dorian dumps it on Elisa’s head before helping her dry her hair. The help was sort of an apology for unceremoniously dumping her into cold water, and he also didn’t want to get blamed if she caught a cold. 

Nolan and Varric take a seat on an adjacent log and the Herald motions toward the dark-haired pair. “It’s stuff like this that would clear you of being evil. I’m sure.”  
“Don’t you know? I’m using blood magic to control her.” Elisa scoffs at his words as he pulls out a brush from their pack and starts to fix her hair.  
“I don’t know Herald. If anything, he’s a mother hen.”  
Dorian scowls at the dwarf. “I’d rather be seen as a blood mage, thank you.” He finishes Elisa’s loose braid and sits next to her with a yawn. “Are we heading back to Haven in the morning?”  
Nolan glances at the setting sun then back to the fire. “Not yet. There are a few more things to do. Like look for Lord Woolsley.”  
The mage groans and lies down with his head in Elisa’s lap. “Wake me when dinner is ready.”

Varric shakes his head as Dorian dozes off and he looks at the mage’s pillow humorously. She didn’t seem the slightest bit bothered with the man’s antics so he had to ask.

“Just how close are the two of you?”  
Elisa startles at the question. “Why?” Varric gives her a look and gestures toward the napping Tevinter in her lap. “This is weird?”  
“I guess not. I was just curious.”  
“He’s…” Elisa pauses to gather her thoughts. “He takes care of me. It’s not really needed, but it’s nice. There’s also the fact that I owe him my life. Dorian is all I have in this world right now.”  
Nolan blinks. “This world?”

An Inquisition agent chooses then to bring them dinner and Elisa nudges the mage in her lap. Dorian mutters in Tevene as he sits up and the four of them accept the food from the agent, who stalks away after quiet thanks from them. A few moments of silence pass as the group eats their meals before Dorian grows bored and looks up at Varric.

“What's a deshyr from the Merchant's Guild doing in the middle of a battle against ancient evils?”  
The rogue only smirks. “I could ask the same thing of a pampered, noble Tevinter.”  
Dorian bites back the urge to gasp dramatically. “You can't call me ‘pampered.’ Nobody's peeled a grape for me in weeks.” He could practically hear Elisa roll her eyes.  
“Talk to Josephine. She can arrange something.” Varric looks at the mage then to the girl beside him and his grin widens. “Better yet, ask Spooky.”  
Elisa glances at Dorian in disbelief. She had heard rumors about Tevinter and its occupants, and even though Dorian seemed to be the opposite of whatever they claimed, this seemed to be true. “You really are a spoiled brat.”  
The mage nearly chokes on his food in his surprise and coughs to clear his throat before meeting her gaze. “Where did you hear that?”  
“Blackwall.” Big surprise there.  
Dorian points his spoon at her. “You are forbidden from speaking to that hairy lummox.” He then turns his attention to Nolan. “You! I’m convinced you’re having us run around looking for this ram for…for…” He struggled for a good term.  
“Shits and giggles?” Elisa offers.  
“Precisely!” Dorian actually laughed with Varric and Nolan. “Where do you hear these things?”

Elisa shrugs and stands to return her bowl to one of the nearby agents and retires into one of the tents with their pack. Dorian desperately hoped she was going to change out of her damp clothes. He didn’t want to sleep on a damp bedroll…much too uncomfortable.

“I hope you’re changing!” A knife flies out of the tent and imbeds itself a hair away from his thigh and he glares at the offending blade. “Rude!”  
Nolan chuckles. “I like her.”  
“I want to know how she tolerates you.”  
Dorian pries the knife out of the log. “If I tell you my secret then I would have to share her. I’ve grown terribly fond of her. I would hate to lose her company to the rest of the inner circle.”  
“You can’t help whatever she does herself you know.” How kind of the dwarf to point that out.  
“Don’t remind me.” Dorian stands with the knife and hands his bowl off to the same agent that Elisa had relinquished her own. “She has the right idea. I’m going to bed. I’ll need all the sleep I can get if we’re going to traipse around the Hinterlands for a ram.”

He ducks into the tent and tosses Elisa’s blade onto her clothes before changing and joining her on the bedroll. Even in sleep she adjusted her position so that they could both sleep comfortably. They truly had a routine. Being dumped in a cold lake likely had an influence on her repositioning as well. She was still cold. In fact, she never seemed to complain. The druffalo incident was the first time she had if Dorian thought about it. Either she wasn’t one to do so or she didn’t want to burden the rest of them so kept it to herself. This brought him back to his complaint about Lord Woolsley.

“If we have to herd the ram back to Redcliffe when we find it, I’m going to scorch the Herald”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: *sigh* I’m working on trying to make longer chapters. Also I’m pretty sure the banter between Dorian and Varric has happened before Haven’s fall. At least for me. If not, oh well.


	3. Chapter 3

When they finally, _finally_ got back to Haven, Dorian couldn’t even sit down before he was being dragged off to close the looming breach with the rest of the mages. His young charge was again left behind, and while she grumbled about it, she didn’t argue. She was probably just as tired as he was. Closing said breach only exhausted him more but thankfully there wasn’t much incident. The second return to Haven, he didn’t even want to join in the festivities. He just wanted to sleep. So he went to his cabin, barely noticing that it was empty, and collapsed into bed. Only to be rudely awakened by a fireball crashing through the roof.

“Fasta Vass!” The man grabs his staff as he stumbles out of the now burning cabin, and into chaos. He pushes through the fleeing residents and nearly collides with the Commander. “Care to tell me what’s going on?”  
“We’re under attack. Red Templars being led by an Elder One. The Herald is buying the rest of us time to retreat into the chantry.”  
“Lovely. Have you seen Elisa?”  
“I haven’t. I’m sorry.”

Cullen rushes off to direct everyone to the chantry and Dorian worries his lip. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t worried, but he also knew that Elisa could take care of herself. He just had to believe that he would eventually come across her…hopefully not dead. That was a depressing thought. Approaching Red Templars have him casting Horror before following it with a Chain Lightning, and fleeing. Fighting that many would have overwhelmed him, and since his partner was nowhere to be seen, his best option was to run and find the Herald or anybody from the inner circle. Dorian occasionally flung storm magic at any Templar that got too close, eventually running across Cassandra and inflicting Horror on the Templar approaching her from behind. The Seeker turns and beheads the panicking foe before approaching the necromancer.

“Have you seen the Herald?”  
“Have you seen Elisa?”

The two questions overlapped each other but both understood and both shook their head. An avalanche outside Haven draws their attention, and the following cheers were quickly interrupted by what looked like an Archdemon. The dragon effectively destroyed any time the avalanche earned them, and the Herald approaches the two with their other members following.

“Inside. We need a new plan.”

With a small amount of hesitance from Dorian, he follows them into the Chantry, and looks around. With Elisa still missing, the mage was actually starting to worry. Worry that was soon abolished when Iron Bull came in carrying the girl over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Elisa seemed generally uninjured but was looking unamused at her situation. Dorian didn’t even care about the Tevene word he let slip when he saw her.

“Sorora! Where have you been?!”

Elisa practically jumps from Iron Bull’s grasp and barrels into Dorian with a tight hug, from which he extracts himself to search her for any injuries. The two ignore the conversation between the Herald and Commander as Dorian continues to fuss over the small scratches he comes across. Elisa eventually bat away his hands.

“I’m fine. What about you?”  
Dorian smiles. “Perfect as always.” Elisa scoffs. “I’m beginning to think you spend time around our Seeker.”  
This time the scoff came from Cassandra herself. “I’m right here you know.”

Dorian’s retort dies on his tongue when the Herald approaches them.

“Blackwall, Varric, and Solas will stay with me. The rest of you follow Cullen and the Chancellor out of Haven.”

Everyone nods and after the four leave the chantry, the rest follow Chancellor Roderick, and the stranger supporting him, through the underground passage. Since Dorian had elected to ignore the earlier conversation, he wasn’t sure where they were going. As soon as all of the survivors broke the treeline, one of Leliana’s scouts sent a flaming arrow into the sky. One flying rock later, Haven was buried underneath an avalanche, and Cullen was leading everyone away. Dorian could only stare. Was this it? Was the Inquisition over before it even started? Where were they going to go now? Camping in the Hinterlands was one thing, but the Frostback Mountains? 

“Dorian.”

Elisa tugs on his robes and he allows her to lead him away from the destruction in silence. He did notice that the three members that were with the Herald managed to catch up to the rest of them before the avalanche, but what about Nolan? Was he dead? Or did he manage to escape? If he was dead, it was a terrible shame. Dorian was actually starting to like the man. More than he should.  
The inner circle and survivors continue through the mountains, and any stops they make only last for a couple of hours before they pack up and move on again. Cullen wanted to get as far away from Haven as possible in case of any red Templar stragglers. The couple hours of rest weren’t enough though and Dorian’s exhaustion was beginning to catch up with him. He was cold as well but using his magic to keep himself warm wasn’t an option unless he wanted to collapse from overexerting himself. Elisa seemed to notice though and silently offered her shoulder as support, which Dorian took gratefully. The trek lasted for another few hours until they found a spot between the mountains to set up camp, and the amount of work into setting up told Dorian it was at least for the night. If not a few days. Elisa leads him to an available tent and once his head hit the pillow, sleep took him.

***********  
Dorian woke up to the sound of rustling and then the periodic swish of a page being turned. He opens his eyes and looks toward the source to find Elisa looking through his journal again. She looks at him when he sits up and he rubs the sleep out of his eyes.

“How long?” How long had he been asleep was what he wanted to ask, but his mouth wasn’t cooperating fully.  
“Almost a day.”  
“Anything interesting happen?”  
Elisa offers him a waterskin and the mage takes a few gulps after accepting it. “The Herald is alive. He stumbled into camp late last night. I think he’s talking to Solas right now.”  
“That man has the strangest luck. Maybe he really was blessed by Andraste.”  
“Or maybe he was blessed with dumb luck.”  
“Touche my dear.”

The necromancer exits the tent with Elisa at his heels, and the two join Blackwall and Iron Bull at the fire. The Qunari looks up at them and grins.

“Decided to finally grace us with your presence Vint?”  
“Far be it from me to deprive any of you of my charming self.”  
“We were getting by.” Blackwall grumbles.

Dorian was again interrupted by the Herald’s approach with the news that they were to pack up and follow Solas. He mutters in Tevene, certain that Elisa could understand some of it at this point as she had given him a look of amusement, and was once again finding himself dragged across the mountains. A half-day passes and Dorian sighs with relief when a large fortress comes into view. Everyone was quick to settle and drop whatever burden they were carrying, and after Nolan had accepted the title of Inquisitor, Dorian wasted no time in exploring and at one point lost track of Elisa. This time he could shrug off her disappearance. The place was completely void of any living thing, so he let her do her own exploring. He soon found a library, to his delight, and quickly claimed the alcove at the top of the stairs as his own. His examination of the bookshelves left him sorely disappointed though. There were very few books that looked promising. He would have to talk to Josephine about finding something worthwhile.  
When Elisa had finished exploring for the moment, she had to sidestep the book that Dorian had thrown over his shoulder in exasperation, hearing it land with a thud in the rotunda below. Solas made his displeasure known but the mage was too preoccupied to care. Not that he would have in the first place. Dorian finally looks up from his task when Elisa joins him, and she holds up a key.

“Josephine didn’t waste any time in assigning rooms.”  
The mage looks back to the shelf in front of him and skims through another book before tossing that one as well. “You’ve already stored what’s left of our belongings there, yes?”  
Elisa hums in acknowledgemnt. “It’s a mess but there’s a bed and a fireplace.”  
“You tried out the bed already didn’t you?”  
“It’s surprisingly more comfortable than the one at Haven.” She wrinkles her nose. “Needs new blankets though.”  
“To be expected.” He tosses another book and earns a heated _Pavus!_ from the elf below. Elisa walks over to the railing and looks down at Solas before offering an apology. _Bless her,_ Dorian thought. She had a kind heart. Almost as bad as their Inquisitor. “How ghastly is the mess?”  
“We could clean it ourselves if you use your magic to move the heavier things.”  
“We’ll clean up before bed then. Find anything interesting otherwise?”  
“I didn’t get very far. I found the tavern and the dungeon. Then ran into Josephine.”

Dorian nods and takes a few promising books off the shelves and deposits himself into the armchair. He supposed he could try researching this Elder One with what they had for now, but he imagined he wouldn’t get very far. He grabs his journal from Elisa, extracts a writing instrument from his satchel--it paid to be prepared--and quickly loses himself in his research. This left Elisa to poke around for a bit before she loses interest and leaves to continue her exploring. His research was interrupted when the sun went down, and since candles weren’t an option, he took it upon himself to find the tavern that Elisa had mentioned. His walk was cut short when Josephine called for him once he stepped into the Great Hall.

“What can I help you with Ambassador?”  
“Did Lady Umbra inform you about your room?”  
Dorian was confused. “Who?”  
Josephine giggles at his expression. “Elisa. Has she told you?”  
“Yes…how in the world did she get a name like that? I was under the impression that I was the only Tevinter-” Except he wasn’t. He had forgotten about Krem. He must have given her a name that happened to stick if Josephine was using it.  
“Krem told me what it translates to. I think it fits her. Don’t you agree?”  
“I have my own name for her but yes. It does.”  
“I suppose calling her sister is better.” Dorian felt his entire body heat up at the ambassador’s words. “I overheard you in the chantry at Haven. I asked Krem about it.”  
The mage pinches the bridge of his nose. “Please don’t tell her.”  
“Don’t worry Lord Pavus, she won’t hear it from me.”

Josephine walks away and Dorian groans as he resumes his walk to the tavern. It was easy to find as there was commotion already coming from it. He shoves the door open when he reaches it and was pleasantly surprised to find out that there was alcohol. He very much wanted a bottle of wine right now.

“Dorian! Where’s your shadow?”

The mage finds himself being waved over by the Inquisitor, and is offered the bottle of wine in Trevelyan’s hand when he joins him. Dorian accepts with a shrug.  
“Possibly exploring and scaring the wits out of your soldiers at this time of night.”  
“Everyone likes her enough. They’ll get used to it. I can tell you for a fact that she already got to Cullen.”  
“Was it her good looks or did she just help him soil his breeches?”  
Nolan laughs. “Both I think. Varric is convinced that he’s sweet on her.”  
Dorian stops the bottle of wine halfway to his mouth. “Our dear Commander has feelings? Perish the thought! He has a very serious relationship with his job.”  
Nolan takes back the bottle once the mage takes a few gulps. “What about me then? I have feelings don’t I?”

Was he _flirting_ with Dorian? The thought made his head spin…or maybe it was the alcohol. How strong was it anyway?

“What are we drinking? It seems a bit strong to be served here.”  
“Something from my personal collection.”  
Dorian could feel the glee in his eyes. “Please tell me it’s the 7:84 we picked up before we returned to Haven.”  
“It’s the Butterbile 7:84.”

Dorian was in much brighter spirits and the back and forth in the Hinterlands didn’t seem so bad anymore. If the Inquisitor was sharing, he wasn’t about to say no. Although if two or three gulps already had his vision clouding over, there was no chance he and Elisa were cleaning their room tonight. He wondered if he would even make it there. He didn’t actually know where it was. He decided it was a problem for future Dorian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So if it wasn’t clear…  
> Sorora-sister  
> Umbra-shadow/darkness  
> I also have a terrible habit of rushing things.


	4. Chapter 4

Future Dorian was very unhappy with Past Dorian. That was his first thought as he managed to open his eyes the following day. Past Dorian got to have fun while Future Dorian had to nurse a hangover. The man risks a quick look of his surroundings and gathers that he indeed managed to find his room; if his staff and Elisa’s foreign blade sitting in the corner were anything to go by. He had no idea _how_ he got there though. That part of the evening was missing. Elisa seemed to have been kind enough to remove his boots, assuming it _was_ her; it could have easily been himself. Dorian rubs his eyes with the heel of his hand before deciding to brave the day—inhaling deeply and instantly regretting it as the bed had a suspicious hint of mold-- making himself more presentable before leaving his room and returning to his alcove in the library. He wondered if he could find some elfroot tea to help his pounding head. A potion would even be welcome. Such things were likely scarce since very little was able to come with them from Haven.

“Lord Pavus, might I have a word?”

Dorian looks up from his cluttered table and finds the Revered Mother standing on the other side. He felt his headache intensify tenfold. He had a bad feeling about this talk.

“Mother Giselle…to what do I owe the honor of your presence?”  
“I wish to speak to you about the young lady.”

_Of fucking course she would._ Dorian fought back the sneer threatening to show. He was the one that had known Elisa the longest. Weeks longer, and so his close relationship with her was of course bound to raise some eyebrows. Surprisingly few people actually questioned it, and of course Mother Giselle was one of them.

The mage elects to keep his mask on. “Your concern is noted but not necessary. She is a dear friend. Nothing more.”  
“The two of you share a room-“  
“She isn’t complaining and neither am I. With all due respect,” there wasn’t much from him in the first place. “I know her better than anyone. If she wanted her own room, she would have told me. If I wasn’t certain that you would scare her away with your questions, I would have you ask her yourself.” Dorian returns his attention to the papers beneath him. “Now if that is all, I’m quite busy.”

He was sure that wasn’t all but he wasn’t leaving anything else open for discussion. She was likely to return at a later date to try again. His dismissal was thankfully enough for her to depart and just as he was about to sigh with relief, Leliana approached him. Wasn’t he popular. Dorian looks up with annoyance clear on his face, and the Spymaster silently hands him a letter in return. Once he accepts it, she turns on her heel and returns upstairs to her ravens, leaving the mage to stare at the Magisterium seal. This didn’t bode well with him. He had a feeling about the contents of the letter and when he finally broke the seal and read it, his heart clenched. Dorian stood there for what seemed like hours staring at the paper telling him of Felix’s passing. When he finally did set it down among his research, he balled a hand into a fist and thumped it loudly onto the table. Fiona casts him a disapproving glance but he really couldn’t bring himself to care. He held back tears as he stewed in his foul mood. Something that must have had everyone else in the library on edge because he soon heard Solas speaking from below.

“Would you please do something about Dorian? His mood is affecting everyone’s work.”

_Apostate hobo._ He had half a mind to go down there and tell him off. He turned to do just that, but his anger deflated when Elisa crested the top of the stairs. She looked concerned and it was enough for the mage to pick up the letter again and quietly hand it over. She had met Felix once, and she knew what he meant to Dorian, so the letter would likely explain why he was so upset. More moments of silence pass as she reads the letter before gently returning it to his table, and then moving closer to reach up and pull his head down to her shoulder. Silent comfort. He wouldn’t cry though, not now, not in such a public place. He allowed himself to relax though; to enjoy the feel of her fingers through his hair. Words would have been no help anyway.

The fingers stop and Dorian finds himself being led to his chair before she nudges him into it. “Wait here. No researching, just relax.”

She turns and descends the stairs, leaving Dorian to silently obey her commands. Elisa wasn’t gone for long, and the mage almost did cry when she came back with food…and elfroot tea. Dorian ignores the food momentarily to drink the much needed tea, and sighs as his headache slowly fades to a dull ache. Pain much more manageable.

His personal angel takes a spot on an arm of his chair. “Varric told me about your argument with Mother Giselle. Dorian…if I’m causing you problems…”  
A ringed hand waves her worry away. “Think nothing of it sorora. If you were a burden I would have said something. The Revered Mother would surely find something else about me that concerned her whether you are here or not. Just try to avoid her, yes?”  
Elisa nods. “Anyway, I found something that might make your day a little better.”  
“I’m intrigued.” Dorian sets his empty cup aside.  
“After you eat.”  
“That reminds me, how did I find our room?” he picks at the fruit on his plate before deciding to try the bread.  
“You didn’t. I came looking for you when you didn’t come to help with the room.”  
“Oh dear…how badly did I embarrass myself?”  
Elisa brushes away some invisible dirt from her top. “You and the Inquisitor were only passed out. I had to chase Sera away though. She looked ready to draw on your faces.”  
“That does sound like her.” Dorian sets aside his empty plate as well before standing and brushing his legs off. “So what could possibly make my day better?”

Without another word, Elisa grabs Dorian’s hand and leads him down and out of the rotunda to the Great Hall, and then toward Josephine’s office. Only instead of going through the second door, she turned left and they were unexpectedly going down another flight of stairs. Interesting, he didn’t remember seeing them in his own exploration. The stairs led to another open room, much like the Great Hall, and Elisa stops at one of the few doors. She releases his hand and motions toward it and Dorian raises an eyebrow as he opens the door.

The first thing he did was sneeze.

“Fasta vass! How does so much dust-“ The necromancer stops his tirade and looks around. It was another library. It was much smaller than the one upstairs but just glancing at the nearby books revealed that there was a much better selection. A cloud of dust scatters in the air when he pulls a book off a nearby shelf, producing another sneeze from Dorian, and he skims through it as he turns toward Elisa. “Does the Inquisitor know?”  
“I made sure it was okay with him before telling you. Will it help?”  
“I certainly won’t need to ask the Lady Ambassador to find something of use for me for a little while longer. Perhaps I’ll take some of these back up to the alcove. It’s far too dark and dusty in here to stay.”

He hands her the book he’s holding as well as a few choice others , and the two make their way back up to the main library with their arms full of books. Once they reach the alcove, they drop their loads by the chair and Dorian turns to Elisa.

“I don’t think I’m in the right mind to do any research today. I’m willing to clean though.”  
“I must be in the Fade. Dorian Pavus would never clean.” Solas’ voice reaches them from the rotunda and Dorian grabs a nearby inconsequential book and throws it over the railing onto the elf’s desk in retaliation. The elvish curses he earns cause Dorian to smile.  
“Now I really am feeling a bit better.”

***********  
They were plotting against him. He just knew it. The Fallow Mire was _disgusting_. Mud…even more mud…oh look at that. More mud. The Inquisitor seemed happy wherever they went, Elisa was indifferent about their travel locations, but at least Cassandra seemed just as equally disgusted as he was. Or that could just be her face.

“What do they call this? A bog? Lovely word.”  
“You should feel at home. Plenty of undead to play with.” Elisa responds.  
“Don’t sass me.” He steps away from some water with a grimace. “And I do not _play_ with undead. I use them in battle.”  
Cassandra and Elisa share a look as Nolan looks over his shoulder at the Tevinter. “Sounds the same to me. You always seem thrilled to use that power whenever you can.”  
Dorian smiles. “You would be too if you could use the enemy’s allies against them. There’s some satisfaction to watch the horror on their faces when a dead friend turns on them.”  
The Seeker looks at the youngest of the group and points toward Dorian. “How can you live with him?”  
Elisa sighs. “Why does everyone keep asking me that?”

She stumbles over some rocks, accidently disturbing the water next to her, but Dorian casts storm magic on the undead before they can leave the water. A task that was repeated every once in a while and had Dorian yawning from the dullness. So he resorted to studying Elisa and Cassandra. How they would look in dresses to be precise. Getting them into one was a different matter entirely. They had been invited to the Winter Palace in Halamshiral for a party, and while Cassandra knew about it, Elisa did not. Dorian was hoping for a surprise change in wardrobe at the last minute to get Elisa into a dress, but even that was unlikely to work. He was sure there would be something they could compromise on. The party was not for a while anyway so he had time.

“You're not as handsome as you think, Dorian.”  
“I must be, or you wouldn't have been thinking about it all this time.” Perhaps he could have fun with this.  
“Anyone who claims it as often as you must be dreadfully concerned they're not.”  
The mage stares at Cassandra and then motions over himself. “Look at this profile. Isn't it incredible? I picture it in marble.”  
A disgusted scoff. “You have my sympathy.” She says to Elisa.  
The girls shrugs. “He gives me chocolate.”  
Nolan perks up at this and turns to Dorian again. “So _that’s_ your secret!”

Dorian sighs.


	5. Chapter 5

A blizzard had enclosed both Dorian and Elisa in their quarters, as well as the rest of Skyhold. Dorian was somewhat thankful that he thought to bring any reading material to his room, as that was what he was entertaining himself with while he sat in a chair—newly acquired by Josephine—by the fireplace. Elisa was keeping herself occupied cleaning her weapon. A gunblade she called it. Strange thing.

“Dorian.” The man hums in response. “Why do you trust me?”  
The mage looks up from his book. He certainly wasn’t expecting _that_. “Should I not? You’ve given me no reason not to.”  
She sighs. “That’s not what I meant.”  
“Then?”  
“You never asked me where I came from.”

Oh. Well, Dorian did have his suspicions. It was as he said though; she had given him no reason not to trust her. He figured when she was ready to talk, or when she remembered if amnesia played a part, then he would be ready to listen. He also wasn’t heartless enough to question someone that was nearly dead when he found her.

“I had my theories. Do you want to talk about it?”  
“I’m not sure what I could tell you. One minute I’m home and the next…”  
“You wake up in my tent.” Elisa nods and he links his fingers together. “I overheard your conversation with Varric when we were in the Hinterlands. You said something about ‘this world’?  
The girl shakes her head. “It isn’t mine. I think a rift may have somehow connected the two, but that connection was momentary. I was in the middle of battle when I fell through.”  
“That would explain the injuries you had when I managed to drag you to safety. A moment later and the demons would have gotten to you. What’s that phrase? Out of the frying pan and into the fire?”  
“Do you…do you think it’s possible to go back?”

Those were the words Dorian was afraid to hear. They may have only known each other for a few months, but the thought of not being able to reach her if they parted ways…it actually scared him. Felix was gone and now there was a chance that he would lose her too? He must have a bad rapport with friendship.  
“I don’t know to be completely honest, but…” He had to collect himself for the next thing he was going to say. “I will do my very best to help you find your way home. I promise.” As much as it would hurt him if he succeeded, he would. Her happiness meant that much to him. 

“If there isn’t a way?”  
Dorian genuinely smiles then. “You’re welcome to come home with me to Tevinter after all of this Elder One nonsense is said and done. You can help me terrorize the Magisterium.”  
Elisa’s smile is accompanied by a huff. “You’d like that.”  
“Very much. They won’t know what to make of you.”

Elisa seemed satisfied enough with his answer and the two returns to their separate sources of entertainment, though the younger soon finishes with her task and slumps back onto their bed to stare at the ceiling. Dorian sympathized with her. He was content to stay in and read, but she was the busy-body. She was known to help around Skyhold in any way she could, whether it was with repairs, training with the soldiers…and once she was even roped into helping Cullen with his paperwork. Dorian was pretty sure that was partially for selfish reasons if the Inquisitor and Varric were right about the Commander’s little crush. No one else seemed to notice though. Getting any idea from Elisa wouldn’t help either; she seemed oblivious to these kinds of things. She was annoyingly perceptive about _Dorian’s_ feelings though.

“Should I brave the blizzard for lunch?”  
“The moment you step out that door you will be picked up by the wind and thrown over the battlements…so no.”

A few resounding thuds on the door draw their attention and Dorian sighs as he sets aside his book and makes his way over to the door. He hesitates briefly to brace himself for the freezing cold, opens the door, and scowls at the Commander before yanking him in and slamming the door. Freezing indeed and Cullen looked unaffected. Said man seemed to bring food though. Enough for three by the looks of it.

“The Commander braved it.” Elisa mumbles.  
“Our dear chantry boy has armor to weigh him down. You have nothing but fabric and leather to speak of.”  
Cullen sighs. “Please continue, I enjoy being spoken about as if I weren’t right here.”  
“Why are you here Commander?” Dorian raises an eyebrow at him and Cullen sets the tray of food down on a nearby side table.  
“The wind was making it hard for me to do any work and Cole informed me that the two of you hadn’t eaten yet. I had hoped that you would also humor me with a game or two of chess.”  
“Since you were so kind to bring us food, I suppose I can. I don’t have—“Cullen pulls a board out from under his coat. “Of course you are prepared. Set it up then.”

As the Commander does just that, Dorian pulls the table of food closer to the chessboard and Elisa sits on the arm of his chair as he sits down. Likely to be closer to their meal. She didn’t have much interest in chess. Cullen takes the chair opposite of Dorian, and procures a box to Elisa after making himself comfortable.

“What’s this?”  
“A thank you for helping me with my reports a few days ago. I never thought I would manage to catch up.”  
“Oh.”

She peeks into the box and smiles at the assortment of chocolate before closing it and setting the box aside for later. Dorian lets out a huff from beside her.

“I still think you told the Inquisitor on purpose. Now you’ve got our Commander bribing you.”  
Cullen looks at Dorian strangely. “Most women like chocolate. I just made the assumption that she did too.”  
“So you didn’t ask the Inquisitor what Elisa likes?”  
“Err…no. Why?”  
Dorian crosses his legs and sits back in his chair. “Never mind.”

The next few hours passed with the two men playing round after round of chess, and after Elisa had her fill of both lunch and watching the games of chess, she took to wandering around the room finding ways to keep herself occupied. Something that Dorian was accustomed to but Cullen was not. The mage used the other’s moments of distraction to play by Tevinter rules, or what the Commander called cheating.

“You must have been dreadfully bored if you decided to come play chess with little old me in this weather.”  
Cullen shrugs. “As I said, the wind was making things difficult.”  
“Perhaps you should do something about that giant hole in your roof then. How do you sleep with it anyway? Don’t you get cold?” Dorian makes his move and pulls at an end of his moustache. “Or maybe Fereldens really are more tolerable to the cold.”  
“Maybe Tevinter mages are just too cold-blooded.”

Dorian smiles at the double meaning.

“I didn’t think you had it in you to insult someone Commander. Well done.”  
Cullen coughs. “If I offended…”  
“I took no offense. I was merely surprised. Don’t worry your pretty head over it. I’ve gotten worse from Elisa.”  
Elisa scoffs from her position in front of their wardrobe, another addition from Josephine. “I said one thing and it wasn’t even my words.”  
Dorian sniffs in disdain. “She called me a spoiled brat.”  
“Dorian?”  
“Yes Commander?”  
“You _are_ a spoiled brat.”

The half-hearted insults continued for another game of chess before Cullen decided to call it a night. He cleans up both the chessboard and the food tray, wishes them a good night, and once again braves the blizzard when he leaves. Dorian, in the meantime, returns the table to its original location before wiping his hands together and picking up his previously discarded book. He would have to find a way to make it up to Elisa for being cooped up all day. Although she loved chocolate, it wasn’t going to work this time. Maybe he would ask the Inquisitor to take them, or maybe just her, with him next time he went to the Emerald Graves. Why she loved the place was beyond the mage though. Too many bugs. He had to admit it was better than the Fallow Mires though. That place was just…decrepit and foul.

***********  
The blizzard died down by morning, and Dorian was summoned to the war table. Something that never happened so his curiosity was obvious when he arrived. That curiosity died down when the Inquisitor and his advisors discussed plans for the Winter Palace. He was already aware of the grand event coming up.

So he sighs. Loudly. “That’s all well and good but why am I here?”  
The other four exchange glances before returning their attention to him. “Can you get Lady Umbra into a dress?” Josephine asks.  
“You would have more luck getting our Seeker into one.” Dorian didn’t see how this was important. He thought the dress code was agreed to be the same for everyone. Unless… “Why?”  
“Distraction.” Leave it to their Spymaster to be blunt. “Not just her. Both of you.”  
“Putting me in a dress would be distracting. I’ll give you that.”

This earns a poorly concealed laugh from Nolan and a heavy sigh from Cullen.

“What Leliana means is that you are from Tevinter. Lady Umbra in a dress would add to that distraction if she were on your arm for the night.”  
“You assume I would let her out of my sight. She does not know the Game.”  
“Then all you need to worry about is the dress. The more attention the both of you draw, the easier it will be for the Inquisitor and Leliana’s agents to explore the palace without being seen.”  
“I’ve already been thinking of ways to get her into one. My best idea so far has been to surprise her.”  
Leliana sighs. “The Lady does not surprise easily if at all. It’s usually the other way around.”  
Dorian waves at her. “The idea wasn’t a serious one. I’ll think of something eventually. I believe I have a few more weeks.”

The advisors nod and Dorian tunes out the end of their conversation when it turns into unrelated plans. After the War Council disperses, the mage makes his way out of the room until Nolan grabs his arm.

“Dorian. Wait.”

He turns back to the Inquisitor and the man fidgets.

“There’s a letter you need to see.”  
“A letter?” Dorian smirks. “Is it a naughty letter? A humorous proposal from some Antivan dowager?”  
“Not quite.”  
“Oh?”  
“It’s from your father.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Should probably inform my readers that Elisa is pronounced E-lisa not E-liza. I also haven’t decided how in depth I will go into her origins. It will really depend on later chapters.


	6. Chapter 6

Things did not go very well in Redcliffe. Under the assumption that he and Nolan were going to meet a family retainer, Dorian didn’t bother informing Elisa. He did leave the letter in their room when he gathered his traveling pack and staff though. That bit of information would at least tell her where he disappeared to since he and the Inquisitor left immediately. The family retainer was just a ruse he later found out. Halward Pavus had come himself and Dorian couldn’t decide if he was glad he left the young girl behind or not. He was leaning toward yes. Although her presence might have been an additional comfort to Nolan’s, he didn’t know how his father would react. Not anymore at least. Elisa was a powerful warrior, and she could hold her own against others, but magic? She was a giant target. Not to say Dorian wouldn’t defend her, he would in a heartbeat, but in the small space of the inn? She would probably still get hurt.  
The trip back to Skyhold was silent and the mage was thankful for it. It made retreating to the library easier when they arrived. Nolan did eventually check on him later in the day and found Dorian staring out the window. The fluttering in his chest during their conversation was ineffectively squashed.

“Will you be alright?”  
This man and his bleeding heart. “I don’t know. I will be over time I suppose.”  
“Should I find Elisa?”  
Dorian smiles softly even though it didn’t reach his eyes. “No need to worry her needlessly.”

He was left alone after Trevelyan left looking skeptical, and the Altus gathered himself enough to work on finding the true name of the Elder One. The Lady Ambassador had managed to attain some more promising books, and he had also picked up one or two during a trip to Val Royeaux. Elisa had loved the variety of merchants…not so much the Orlesians however. Some of the men were actually brave enough to get handsy and the poor girl endured it with a smile. She may not know the Game, but she did know that she represented the Inquisition. Dorian bought her some of her favorite snacks as a reward for not breaking their arms.

“You should leave Ellie behind more often, yeah?” Sera hops onto the table, effectively scattering some of his papers much to Dorian’s chagrin. “She’s loads of fun.”  
Of course Sera’s idea of fun was pranks. “What did you two do?”  
The elf cackles. _Cackles._ “We helped the Inquisitor’s advisors relax! I think the Commander is still trying to figure out why his desk wobbles!”

Dorian sighs and rubs his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. Said advisors were bound to find out who was responsible for the pranks, and he was the one who was likely to get scolded. Everybody had this strange idea in their head that he was Elisa’s keeper.

“I don’t want to know.” Dorian says after a few moments.  
“Not even that we managed to soak a pissy nob with a bucket of water?”  
He glances at Sera. “Revenge for wandering hands I imagine.”

Sera laughs again as she bounces off of the table and leaves him to his research, scattering some of his papers on the floor. Dorian curses at her loudly in Tevene as he bends to pick up the stray papers, and once he sets his collection back on the table, another small pile joins it. He looks up to find Elisa.

“She threw some downstairs.”  
“They’re all a bad influence on you.” Dorian grouses.  
She smirks in response. “The wedge under the Commander’s desk was my idea.”  
“Truly? You don’t seem the type.”  
She leans—gently thankfully—against the table. “I have three brothers.”

Dorian turns to her, surprise clear on his face. This was the first he had heard of her family, and now he was curious. He didn’t want to push for information though. Given her situation, reminding her of home would only hurt her.

“Well…one of them was an occasional prankster.”  
“It must be nice to have brothers. I wasn’t so lucky.”

This earns a slight frown from Elisa before she walks behind him, encircles her arms around his waist, and lays her head on his back. Silent comfort again.

“How about a sister then?”  
Dorian tenses. “What?”  
“I was upstairs in the tavern when Krem told Josephine what ‘sorora’ meant.”  
“Well…that explains why you never questioned me about it.”  
“Is it why you leave me behind sometimes?”  
A sigh. “I lost Felix. I don’t want to lose you too.”  
“What about if I lose you? I’d rather risk danger and be with you than be stuck here wondering if something would have been different. If I would have been able to protect you if I were there.” She tightens her grip and he looks down at her arms. “If something happens to you, I have nowhere else to go.”

He never thought of it that way. He truly was selfish. All this time he was trying to protect her and he never even considered her feelings. How very Tevinter of him. He knew she wasn’t defenseless, but the fraternal side of him screamed to keep her from harm whenever he could. Felix’s death made that feeling stronger…but she did have a point. If he were in her shoes, and something happened to her when he wasn’t around, he would also wonder those what if’s.

Dorian sighs internally at the thought. “You’re right…I apologize. At the very least I will talk to you from now on.”  
“Good. I would have followed you to the Imperium and brought you right back.”  
He believed it too. “That’s a terrifying image.”  
“Why?”  
“I picture bloodshed until you find me and drag me back by my robes.” He felt the giggle in his back.  
“You won’t get out of your promise that easily.”  
The mage pats the hands around his middle with a smile. “I wouldn’t dream of it sorora.”

Silence passed for a few minutes.

“Now about the Inquisitor—“  
“Hush.”  
Elisa tightens her grip and draws a grunt from her taller hostage. “We both know you—“  
Dorian pinches a bare arm as interruption and warning. “ _Hush._ ”  
“Dorian.”

The man swats her away and she pulls back with a grin. Spending time with the others did seem to have their pros after all. She was more expressive than when they first met, and it made her a little easier to read, which in turn brought them even closer. She really was like a younger sister to him.

“I found something else while you were in Redcliffe.”  
“Are you Skyhold’s resident explorer?”  
“Unofficially. Anyway, Dagna and I are fixing it. It should be finished by the end of the week, even if the Inquisitor drags us off somewhere.”  
“You have yet to tell me what ‘it’ is.”  
“Bathhouse.”

She knew him so well. In fact, she knew more about him than his father did. Just goes to show who truly cared about him, he thought bitterly.

“Remind me to show you the wonders of scented oils and soaps.”  
“You mean Blackwall.”  
“I knew there was a reason I liked you.” He kisses her temple and hands her some papers. “Be a dear and get these to Josephine?"  
"Are you going to pay me?”

Dorian moves to swat her again but she dashes away…and vaults over the railing. The mage felt his heart jump into his throat as he rushed over to look down, only to find that she had landed safely. Solas didn’t even seem bothered by her sudden entrance. It made Dorian wonder how often she actually did it.

“Kaffas! Festis bei umo canavarum sorora!”  
“Better me than someone else!” Elisa calls as she walks through the door.  
“Brat.” Dorian mutters.  
Leliana, in the meantime, joins him at the railing. “She knows how to distract you, even if it’s only for a little while.”  
“Now you’ve gone and ruined my better mood.”

They turn from the railing and the Spymaster folds her arms as Dorian browses the shelves.

“Does he know about her?”  
Dorian scowls. “If he does, he didn’t say anything.”  
Leliana nods. “I’m glad. You’ve been given enough grief about her company.”  
“A Tevinter noble is kind to someone and the rest of the world loses their mind.”  
“Baby steps Dorian.”

**********  
True to her word, the bathhouse was fixed and available for use by the week’s end. When he asked Elisa where it was, she had told him the door was hidden behind some overgrown brush in the garden. Dorian didn’t waste any more time in using it, and was currently lying against the side with his head back and a towel over his eyes.

“Where were you hiding all of this?”  
He listens to Elisa rummage through his pack of oils and soaps and he smirks. “Magic.”  
“I’m serious.” She soon decides on some Embrium scented soap and starts the task of washing her hair. “We have your research all over our room. Who do you think cleans that up?”  
“I pick up after myself otherwise.”  
“If you didn’t I really would have thought you were spoiled.”  
“Maker’s breath! Do you two do everything together?!”

Dorian didn’t even have to lift the towel from his eyes to know who it was.

“My dear Commander, did you forget that we share a room?”  
“Of course not…but…the baths are a little more…public.”

The mage removes his towel and glances to find Cullen looking away. Specifically from Elisa. He was also delighted to discover the blush that reached his shoulders.

“For the record, this was not planned. It happens to be a free for all time slot. You just missed the men’s time slot. I’ve been here since then. She just joined me.”  
“Free for all?”  
“For those who don’t care about being seen or seeing others. There are other baths. I’ll try not to look.” Of course the last part was just teasing. Cullen was so pleasantly allergic to it.

The blonde turns to one of the other baths and a quiet _whose bloody idea was that_ , floats in the air as he settles, hiding the deeper blush he sported. Dorian returns the towel over his eyes and Elisa to her hair, though she momentarily sunk under the water to rinse. When she resurfaced, she finished washing before stepping out and wrapping a towel around herself, sitting nearby to fix her hair.

“You’re going to shrivel up if you stay in there.”  
“I missed this too much to care right now.”  
“Should I get you a bottle of wine?” Elisa asks sarcastically.  
“You think you’re so clever.” Dorian removes the towel a second time and sits up. “I’ll be out soon. Perhaps you should go on ahead so our chantry boy can relax.” Cullen glares at him from across the room and the mage smiles in return. “At least until another woman comes in.” This earns a wince from the ex-Templar.  
“If you help me with my hair later, I promise not to ask how you can do it in the first place.”  
“Nothing slanderous. My mother made me do her hair.” Elisa stiffens and Dorian was quick to soothe her assumptions. “I don’t mind helping you. It’s much more relaxing when I can willingly choose to do it. Besides, your hair is surprisingly soft.”  
Elisa snorts. “Try not to tease the Commander anymore. You might confuse him.”

She leaves the bathhouse and Dorian nearly doubles over laughing. A glance at Cullen confirmed that the barb was not lost on him, especially since the man had his face in his hands. Cullen was straighter then an arrow, they all knew it, but Elisa knew him well enough to know how to embarrass him. Maybe Dorian himself was a bad influence on her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:  
> Kaffas- Shit. (Actual Tevene word.)  
> Festis bei umo canavarum- You will be the death of me. (Also an actual Tevene phrase.)  
> I actually couldn’t decide whether to have Elisa accompany Dorian and the Inquisitor to Redcliffe or not. That’s why this chapter took a little longer.


	7. Chapter 7

“Something has been nagging me Josephine.” Dorian saunters into her office and over to her desk where he leans against the side of it. When the woman doesn’t immediately look up from her paperwork, the mage places his hand on her papers, finally getting her attention. Albeit annoyed.  
“What is it Dorian? I have many letters to answer.”  
He sighs dramatically. “I’m sure your Orlesian nobles can wait five minutes for information on their missing pets.”  
“Lord Pavus…” Josephine was actually _scowling_ at him!  
“I can’t seem to shake the feeling that there is another reason for trying to get my lovely sorora into a dress.”

Dorian gives her a questioning glance and Josephine sighs before glancing behind the man momentarily. Seemingly satisfied that there weren’t any unwelcome listening ears, she returns her attention to the mage.

“Leliana and I heard Varric’s theory about Cullen-“  
That was all Dorian needed to hear and he let her know with a smile. “Why didn’t you say so? Teasing our Commander is a bit of a hobby of mine.”  
Josephine raises an eyebrow. “It seems cruel when you put it that way.”  
“Nonsense! I’d like to confirm the theory myself. If he doesn’t drool at the sight of her, we’ll send him to a healer.”  
She actually laughs at this. “Are you satisfied now Dorian?”  
“Only if our resident chantry boy has to pick his jaw up from the floor.”

Dorian winks as he removes his hand from Josephine’s papers and makes his way back to his shared room. The trip to the Winter Palace was soon, and while the Ambassador’s words gave him renewed determination, he would have to be a bit forceful. When he reaches his room, he throws the door open and finds Elisa cross-legged on their bed, with a half-eaten box of chocolate next to her and a book in her hands. She looks up from her book mid-chew at his disturbance, and then holds out the box as she returns her attention to her book, to which Dorian accepts her silent offering as he joins her. Perhaps her distraction would fool her into agreeing to wear a dress. _And Corypheus will suddenly decide not to destroy the world._ Great, now he was arguing with himself.

“So…the Inquisition was invited to the Winter Palace in Halamshiral.”  
Elisa pops another piece of chocolate into her mouth. “And?”  
“It’s a…party of sorts.” He replies lamely.  
She narrows her eyes. “I am _not_ wearing a dress Dorian.”

He wasn’t sure why she was against the idea. Cassandra he could understand but he felt like Elisa would have at least been open to the idea. He could lie and tell her all of the women were wearing a dress, but then she would find out the truth and even he wouldn’t escape her potential fury. Her anger would be caused by the lie. Not so much the dress.

“Any way I could persuade you otherwise?”  
“No. They’re restricting.”  
Somewhere in Skyhold, a candle flickered to life. “You mean to tell me you won’t wear one because you can’t fight?”  
Elisa pouts. “I wouldn’t be able to arm myself. I’ve met Orlesians and I’m not going there unprepared.”  
“Perhaps you won’t have to.”  
*******

Dorian had gotten Elisa to agree to a dress. When he told her that she would not be leaving his sight the entire time they were there, she compromised with him. As the mage expected, she looked wonderful in her dark red dress…and he was armed to the teeth. Not visibly. That would just make earning the trust of the court much harder. No, Elisa’s knives were hidden on his person wherever she could get away with it. He had no idea how she managed to hide so many on herself, but she was far more used to the presence of steel than he was. He swore she must have added a couple more than she was used to having just to spite him. If she was going to be uncomfortable just _being_ among silver-tongued nobles, then he would be too. Despite the discomfort, it really was worth getting his adopted sister into the gown. Cullen had openly gawked when he saw her. The Inquisitor and Dorian gave the female advisors an amused expression, which Cullen missed entirely because of his staring, until Leliana discreetly elbowed the man in his ribs. The girls would hopefully never let the Commander live down the embarrassed cough and the nervous tick he had of rubbing the back of his neck.  
Elisa of course was completely oblivious to the entire exchange. At least the reason behind it; she wasn’t that inattentive. She just wasn’t aware of the effect she had on others. Dorian was going to milk this for all it was worth. He was sure Cullen was still blushing even as the mage and his partner took their position in the garden. Their task of being a distraction already working if the glances and whispers were anything to go by.

“Remind me to burn this dress when we get back.” Elisa mutters as she pretends to straighten his sash. Dorian had informed her that they needed to draw attention, and she had yet to disappoint. Little things like sash straightening certainly did the trick.  
“You look so exquisite in it though.” He takes a couple of flutes of champagne from the tray of a passing servant and offers one to her. “I suggest we use it to our advantage.”  
She glances at him over the rim of her glass. “It might be more believable if your boyfriend would stop staring at you every time he passes.”

Dorian felt himself go red. Nolan had returned his birth right to him and the mage had thanked him with a kiss after making himself look like an ungrateful ass. Elisa happened to walk up the stairs, and when she saw the display, had given him a look of _finally_. She also mouthed the word which earned her a shock from Dorian. The zap was a retort and a warning to go away, which she thankfully understood and went on her merry way. Nolan had remained unaware of her presence, and the mage was glad for it. Elisa torments Dorian every chance she gets now.

“I remember telling you to hush.”

Before she can respond, some nobles approach the two and she clamps her mouth shut before moving to Dorian’s side. She did as little speaking as she could--Dorian was much more at home at these parties—and even managed to get away with a smile here and there. Her silence only added to her charm though. A biting remark at Dorian’s heritage though, and the mage felt a hand slowly graze his back…toward one of the many concealed knives.  


“ _Behave._ ” He hisses at her in Tevene, and the hand reluctantly moves away.

Dorian appreciated the thought but snide comments like these were to be expected. Something he probably should have reminded her of. When he simply gave them his own scathing remark, Elisa seemed to catch on, and the attempts at retrieving a knife were fewer. He would have liked to think she had stopped completely, but every other noble that spoke with them had a more offensive comment that had her reaching again. Quelling her in Tevene—at least what he knew she understood—was thankfully enough. Her defense was still a little baffling. He was used to having to take care of himself and having no one like her to defend him. It was a bit of a relief knowing that at least one person was looking out for him. Two if he included the Inquisitor. That man’s defense was riskier though. He had a reputation to uphold.

When the two are finally left alone for more than a few moments, Dorian leans down to whisper in her ear. “Violence isn’t like you sorora.”  
“They don’t know you. Their criticizing bothers me.”  
“Just words. You weren’t so quick to my defense at Haven.”  
“I blame the overabundance of lace.” 

Dorian lets out a short laugh as he pulls away and smiles at the nearby staring trio of noble women. They giggle in response and look away as he exchanges his and Elisa’s empty champagne glasses for full ones. The rest of the evening was quiet for them as the mage suspected that Elisa’s ire could be sensed by the party goers, until Nolan confronted Florianne. Dorian could have watched the man turn the Game around on her all night. Elisa once again reached for a concealed knife, but he didn’t stop her this time as she was only preparing. If Nolan had asked it, she would have pinned the Grand Duchess. It wasn’t needed though and Dorian had to keep himself from laughing when he saw her disappointed expression. She really hated extravagant parties and their pompous guests. Once Florianne was taken into custody and the party had settled, the Inquisition finally relaxed and enjoyed themselves. Elisa tolerated the rest of the evening. At least until Cullen approached them looking like he was a moment away from fleeing.

“Commander! I see you managed to escape your admirers! The Empress had some wine opened. Would you like some?” Dorian was really trying to get the man to relax. He had an idea of why he was with them in the first place.  
Cullen clears his throat. “No…thank you. I was actually wondering if Lady Umbra would care for a dance.”  
Elisa of course was taking a sip of her own drink when he asked this, and coughs when the wine nearly chokes her. “She would love to!”  
His charge stares at him. “I can’t dance!”  
“Neither can our Commander pet.”  
Cullen groans. “Don’t tell her that.”  
“You’ll look foolish together. Go on. It will give me a chance to find Nolan.”

That admission was enough to get Elisa to accept Cullen’s offer and be led away. Her knives either forgotten or the Commander’s presence enough to make her feel safe. Dorian liked to think it was the latter. True to his word, he went in search of the Inquisitor, and his own offer for a dance was accepted. When Nolan’s hand rests on his waist, he looks at Dorian with shock.

“Are…are you _armed_ Dorian?”  
The mage smiles. “I’m surprised our Spymaster or Lady Ambassador didn’t tell you. Elisa is immune to my charms so I had to compromise with her.”  
“It’s good to know that someone is exempt.”  
“You wound me Amatus.”

The two enjoyed their dance, and throughout the night had a couple more before the party was finally over and everyone had retired to their rooms that Celene so graciously offered them. When Dorian wandered into his room, he was immediately assaulted in the face with a dress, and once he pulled it away, he found Elisa slipping a robe on. The faint blush in her cheeks did not go unnoticed. 

“I haven’t even closed the door. People will see you in your underthings.” His words are followed by an appreciative comment from the passing Iron Bull and Dorian closes the door on his gaze. Maybe Elisa’s punch all those months ago knocked some screws loose. No sane man would like anyone in any way after that. Then again, this was the Iron Bull. The punch probably aroused him.  
“I should kick you out, but then you would just go to the Inquisitor’s room and enjoy yourself.”  
“Why in Thedas would you want to kick me out of our room?” 

Elisa’s blush deepens and Dorian begins to fish out steel. The blades clatter one by one onto a nearby table and he scowls when his attempt at removing the one at his back proves fruitless. Elisa helps him remove the remaining unreachable weapons before standing over the washbasin to wash her face of the makeup that Vivienne insisted upon. It didn’t earn the woman anything good. Elisa did not like her in the first place and the makeup probably turned that dislike into hate. Her lack of response had Dorian curious as he changed out of his own outfit.

“How was your dance?”  
“I think it confused the Orlesians. Apparently we were convincing enough that they thought you and I were together, and that I was having an affair.”  
“It’s amazing what rumors they think up from a dance.”  
Elisa dries her face and turns to him. “Do I get the bed to myself or are you staying here?”  
“As much as I would like to spend the night with Nolan, I think there has been enough scandal for one evening. Apparently my wife is a whore.”

Dorian evades the towel thrown at him and lounges in a nearby chair. The insults were in good fun and they both knew it. It was a nice change from earlier at least.

“We’ll be away from this terrible place in the morning.”  
Elisa lies on her stomach after walking over to the bed and folds her arms before resting her head on them. “I’ll sleep better once we get home.”

 _Home._ Dorian had not forgotten his promise, but had little to go on except that he had found her by a rift. He might have to converse with Solas about travel in the Fade. While he was also a mage, the elf would know more about it and would hopefully provide a theory or two. Dorian wouldn’t tell him why he wanted to know if he could help it though.

“Skyhold does have fewer aristocrats.”  
“Fewer potential death threats.” So she really did take the insults directed at him to heart.  
“Just words sorora.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Almost didn’t get this up as soon as I did. I was exhausted today.  
> Vivienne is my least favorite character. She drives me absolutely mad. One thing positive about her is when she joined in Dorian and Solas’s banter. Calling him an unwashed apostate hobo made me laugh.


	8. Chapter 8

Elisa had been quiet since their return from Halamshiral. Well, she was generally quiet in the first place, but around Dorian? He liked to think she showed him her true self. Now though, in his alcove, she was silent at his feet. It rubbed him the wrong way and he tried to ask her if something was bothering her but all he got for his effort was more silence. Dorian decided that whatever was bothering her had nothing to do with him however, otherwise she would not be glued to his side. Or in their current situation, with him in his chair and Elisa sitting on the ground by his feet, she seemed like a well-trained mabari. It was unnerving. His only other theory at the moment was that something happened at Halamshiral while she was with the Commander. 

Wait a minute.

Dorian closes the book in his hand with a snap, and Elisa’s head snaps to his direction at the sound. She didn’t like the Orlesians, but their insults toward him wouldn’t have been enough to completely silence the girl. Actually, they might have had the opposite effect if she didn’t skewer them first. Cullen though? He might have said something. To think Dorian trusted him with Elisa.

“Stay here.”

The mage heads for the stairs before Elisa can give him any kind of quiet response, and once he reaches the bottom floor, passes by Solas and through the door to Cullen’s tower. Dorian throws open his door, successfully startling Cullen and one of Skyhold’s runners when it slams against the wall. 

He points at the runner. “Leave. Now.”

The man hesitates until Dorian allows some of his storm magic to crackle in the air, and the runner flees. The necromancer then turns on Cullen who was looking at him warily and his hand twitching over the pommel of his sword.

“What is the meaning of this Dorian?”  
“What did you say to Elisa at the Winter Palace?”  
The confusion on Cullen’s face actually seemed genuine. “Nothing.” He clears his throat and moves his hand from his pommel to his neck to rub it. “Well…I complimented her in her gown.”  
The crackling in the air around Dorian dissipated. “That’s all?”  
“Yes. She did give me this strange look after the fact before she excused herself.”  
Dorian was at a complete loss. “Then why…” He rubs his chin as he stares at the floor. “Did she say anything?”  
“No. She looked…conflicted though.”

Was Elisa finally catching onto Cullen’s feelings? Maybe she didn’t return them. It would explain her silence. Perhaps she was thinking of how to gently to turn the man down. Or she never thought about it and something else was bothering her.

“I apologize for my earlier accusation.” Dorian turns back to the door and then looks over his shoulder. “Tell that runner I’m sorry as well. My anger probably didn’t help with the uncertainty about the mages.”  
Cullen chuckles. “Your outburst won’t do much damage. Lady Umbra’s lack of concern with the mages has everyone talking.”

Grey eyes blink in surprise as their owner bodily turns back to the Commander.

“You’ll have to explain that to me.”  
“When the Inquisitor brought the mages…as well as you and the Lady…she treated them like anyone else.”  
“There are others who do the same. I don’t see how Elisa doing it makes a difference.”  
“No…but soothing a mage who loses his temper and acting like it was the most normal thing she had seen and done…”

Right. Dorian had nearly forgotten about that outburst. Shortly after he and Elisa arrived at Haven, the pilgrims and soldiers tried to mob his young charge because they believed she was infected with red lyrium. Given that she had recently recovered from a deadly injury, and that the sight of her in that dark future still fresh in his mind, Dorian lost his temper. Lightning physically crackled around him when he jumped to her defense, and it only turned the fear onto him. They automatically assumed that he had lost control of his magic—which was not the case at all, he had complete control. Elisa simply grabbed his arm in silence and effectively calmed the mage enough that he dispelled the lightning and dragged her away from the crowd in an angry huff. It was not one of his finest moments. Now that he thought about it though, everyone seemed to look at Elisa with a sort of respect after that. Their previous worry of red lyrium seemingly forgotten.

“I was only protecting her.”  
“Dorian…she touched you without getting hurt. I have never seen someone trust a mage so fully. Did she not fear you when you found her?”  
“My being a mage didn’t bother her at all if that’s what you are asking.”  
“Her trust in you and lack of fear forced a new perspective on others. Your relationship has Skyhold and its allies perplexed.”  
“All that from throwing a fit? Perhaps I’ll do it more often.”  
Cullen sighs. “Dorian…”  
“I’m only joking Commander.” Partially, but he didn’t need to know that. “I shall take my leave now. We can’t have Elisa brooding at my feet like a kicked puppy. It doesn’t suit her.”  
“Brooding?”

Dorian waves away the man’s question before leaving the tower and walking back up to his alcove. Without a word, he grabs Elisa’s hand, pulls her to her feet, and drags her to their room where he pushes her into one of the chairs and folds his arms.

“We are not leaving this room until you tell me what is going on.”  
“It’s nothing.”  
“Don’t lie to me sorora. If it was nothing, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”  
Elisa sighs and looks away from Dorian’s gaze. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you but the time never felt right and it didn’t seem important.”  
“And now?” Dorian asks quietly.  
“I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time now. Ever since Cole looked at me and said that the reason for my existence bothered him-“  
The mage scowls. “I told you not to mind him.”  
“He wasn’t trying to be mean. I’m not…normal. I wasn’t born. I was created.”  
“ _Excuse me?_ ”  
Elisa tangles her hands together and stares down at them. “I was…am…a science experiment. The scientist who created me used my father’s DNA, but the genetic material a child would get from their mother was artificial. Fake.”

Dorian resisted the urge to say something because she didn’t seem to be finished with her story and he didn’t want her to stop.

“The scientist wanted to create the perfect warrior. One that could wield any weapon and that felt no pain. He succeeded in giving me the ability to masterfully wield all weapons, but when I continued to feel pain…he deemed me a failure and abandoned me. I’ve been fighting as a means to survive since I was little. It’s the one thing I really know.”  
“You spoke of your family before.”  
“A friend of my parents found me and took me home because I looked like my father. Someone I thought dead based on files I found, but apparently he was alive and well.”  
“This is what has been bothering you?”  
Elisa nods. “I figured you deserved to know what you’ve been trying to protect.”

Her story explained why she had been able to use Nolan’s bow so efficiently. She simply asked to use it for a moment, and then suddenly there were dead Venatori a ways away from their camp. It was the first time the mage had seen her use anything other than her gunblade and knives. It was also when he started to wonder what other weapons she could use. Now he knew. Dorian crouches in front of the younger and reaches up to cup her cheek, forcing her to look at him.

“You mean _who_. You are not an object and it hurts me to hear you refer to yourself that way.”  
“But-“  
“Enough. You are as human--a living being--as the rest of us. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t have worried about it as much as you have.”  
“It doesn’t bother you?”  
The mage sighs. “Come here sorora.”

He gently tugs her onto the pelt in front of the fireplace before pulling her close and tucking her head under his chin. Cullen had said she looked conflicted and now Dorian understood why. She didn’t see herself as an equal, so if she did realize the Commander’s intentions, Elisa probably thought herself unworthy. It explained why she wasn’t aware of her effect on others. She almost certainly believed that she had none since she must have been treated as dirt under someone’s shoe if the scientist she spoke of were any indication. A year with family wouldn’t be enough to change her mind of it either, especially if no one outside of it showed her romantic interest. Cullen was probably the first and the interest likely threw Elisa off.

“Not in the slightest. This changes nothing.”  
“It’s not the only thing that’s been bothering me.”  
“What is it?”  
“It’s your relationship with the Inquisitor. I don’t want to get in the way.”  
Dorian smiles and kisses the top of her head. “He knows of my promise to you. He said if I hadn’t provided an option, he would have.”  
“You told him?”  
The Altus frowns. “Are you angry?”  
“No.”  
“As terrible as it might sound, you were here first. If he didn’t like your presence, that would have been the end of the Inquisitor and I. You are family to me and no one will take that away. If you are to be sent away, it will be because I found a way home for you. Do you understand?”

A slight nod of her head against his neck was his answer and he pulls away just enough to look her in the eye. He was glad to find relief in her expression which told him his words had gotten through to her. Now she needed some actual cheering up. If he remembered correctly, Varric was planning a game of Wicked Grace soon with some of the inner circle.

“Has Varric taught you how to play Wicked Grace yet?”  
“He says it’s like playing against an Antivan.”  
“Well now we _have_ to play tonight. Maybe you can win some of my money back and if we’re lucky, some favors from Josephine. She knows where to get the good wine.”  
“Unbelievable.”

Dorian laughs at her grumble. She relented though and they both found themselves at a table in the armory later that night. Varric was quick to separate the two with the belief that it would make things fairer for the rest of them, but the rogue knew better.

“One suspicious look Sparkler and I’m having you thrown out.”  
“From what I heard, she doesn’t need my help.”

Varric grimaces at the reminder before taking his own spot next to Elisa. An hour into the game, and Dorian already had his lost money back. He did lose his shirt to Iron Bull, but Elisa was likely to win it back before the night was through. She already won a bottle of wine from Josephine, which the mage was all too happy to take from the Ambassador, and it earned him a frown from the Antivan woman.

“I believe Lady Umbra won that Lord Pavus.”  
“It was for him anyway.”  
Josephine sighs. “I’m starting to believe you will gain nothing from anything you win. Is there nothing you want for yourself?”  
Elisa shrugs. “Not really. Besides, the wine is still technically mine too.”  
“Sharing is a wonderful thing. You should try it sometime.” Dorian fills his empty tankard and then starts on filling Elisa’s. Across the table, Cullen was smiling though. A smile of knowing and arrogance. “Commander, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen that look on your face before. It’s a little frightening.”  
Varric swears under his breath. “Don’t do it Curly. Spooky will rob you blind. She beat Josephine and that’s impossible.”  
“I won’t be betting sovereigns.” Cullen extracts a box of chocolate from his cloak and sets it on the table. “I’m prepared to lose something that she will actually want.”  
Dorian snorts. “My dear Commander, do you not know what sharing implies? I helped her eat the previous box you gave her.”  
“This is dark chocolate with salt.”

Elisa’s attention snaps to the decorated box and Dorian sits up with interest. It certainly got her attention, and that meant it was her favorite. It also meant there was something the mage didn’t know about her that someone else did. Dorian wanted to know how Cullen knew. The hand for the chocolate was weirdly intense even though everyone knew that Elisa would win. Perhaps it was because she was eyeing the delicacies like a woman possessed. She, of course, won the hand, and instantly snagged the box from the pile, leaving to Dorian to collect the rest of her winnings. His shirt being part of it. With most of Elisa’s attention on her newly acquired chocolate, Dorian leans closer to Cullen.

“How exactly did you know about that? Even I didn’t.” He asks with a whisper.  
The man laughs quietly. “Cole.”  
“You may have found something she won’t share with me. Bravo Commander.” Dorian then grins at him. “Are you trying to secretly court my sister?”

The blush that adorned the Commander’s face was all the answer he needed. It was nice to know the blonde wasn’t put off by Elisa’s strange behavior at the Winter Palace. He still had his work cut out for him, but Dorian was willing to help since Cullen didn’t know of her insecurities. Hopefully, over time, Elisa would tell the commander what she told the mage. It wasn’t Dorian’s story to tell. Not even to the Inquisitor.

A sigh from Josephine draws Dorian’s attention back to the game.

“Lady Umbra, you have won everything I have to offer tonight.”  
“What about favors?”  
“What kind of favors?”  
“To find some good wine.”  
“Dorian put you up to this didn’t he?”  
The mage gasps as if he were hurt. “You wound me Lady Montilyet!” He then smiles at her raised eyebrow. “Of course I did.”  
The woman scoffs and turns to Elisa as she shuffles the cards. “Very well. On the condition that however many favors you win from me, you use one of them for yourself, and you do not share with Lord Pavus.”  
Elisa smiles. “He will have to pry salted chocolate from my cold, dead hands.”

Sera cackles from under the table and Blackwall shakes his head.

“I’m starting to think I should go to bed before things get too crazy.”


	9. Chapter 9

The assault on Adamant Fortress went from bad to worse…then downright disastrous. The assault itself was bad, what with demons and Grey Wardens attacking them. The upside to the whole fiasco was that the Inquisitor got most of the Wardens to stand down. Then it got worse when the dragon chased them up to the bridge, destroying it, and sending Nolan and his party plummeting to their deaths. At least until he opened the rift and they found themselves _physically_ in the Fade. This all would have been enough, but of course fate had a little more in mind and decided to make this whole excursion a terrifying disaster. Mostly terrifying for Dorian. Because soon after they decided on a plan to get the hell out, Elisa collapsed. When the mage raced over to her crumpled form, she seemed in a great deal of pain, and no new injuries to justify it. 

“What’s wrong?” Nolan asks as he stands beside his crouching lover.

The others were standing by while Dorian used Creation magic to try and find the culprit to Elisa’s sudden collapse, and the only thing he found was the Fade. From what he could tell, her body and the Fade were at war with each other, and the Fade was winning. It was trying to destroy her. Dorian’s only theory at the moment was that it recognized that she was not of this world. The mage was also afraid that any magic might be doing more harm than good but if he didn’t constantly heal her, she would not make it.

The thought brought a lump to his throat.

“Dorian.”  
Nolan grabs his shoulder and the mage keeps his gaze on their unconscious companion. “We need to get her out. _Now._ ” She would have to be carried, and although Dorian was stronger than most mages, he was not strong enough for her burden. He was also the only mage among them. “I’m not strong enough though.”

The Inquisitor seemed to understand and looks over his shoulder at the Warden and the Champion. Hawke immediately steps forward, and the rogue picks Elisa up with ease before nodding his head toward their path. Dorian stands with Nolan’s help and the group hastens toward their destination, with the mage staying close to Hawke to provide a constant regenerative effect to the girl in his arms. That as well as using magic in battle was dangerous, but they had no other choice. Dorian did get some few moments of reprieve when Cassandra found some regeneration potions, and so they used those sparingly on Elisa whenever the mage began to tire. When the spectral form of Divine Justinia appeared before them and gave Nolan the task to retrieve his lost memories, Dorian nearly had an aneurysm. They did not have the luxury to traipse around the Fade, but the mage said nothing. Nolan’s memories of the Conclave were important, and he at least remembered their primary goal and the urgency behind it. The Divine’s spirit turned to ravenette in Hawke’s arms and made to move closer until Dorian stepped between them. 

“Do not touch her!”  
The spirit hesitates. “I can relieve her suffering for a time if you will allow it.”

The idea was tempting and it had the mage on edge. If he accepted its offer, he would be able to focus more on his other companions while they fought and not use nearly as much mana as he had been. The spirit did seem to want to help, so he eventually stepped aside after a few more internal arguments with himself. Trusting the spirit seemed to ironically be the lesser of two evils. The spirit moves closer, making Hawke squirm briefly, before a golden glow surrounds Elisa’s body. Almost immediately she relaxed and everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

The Divine’s spirit disappears and the group resumes their trek through the Fade thoughvDorian remained distressed as they collected the Inquisitor’s memories and Varric pats his arm. 

“We’ll get her out Sparkler.”

The mage nods wordlessly and they continue to move forward as the Nightmare taunts them with their fears. It did seem to favor Dorian since one of his greatest fears was dangerously close to coming true. He partially succeeded in ignoring its words until they came across a graveyard filled with tombstones, and finding each of the inner circle’s greatest fears upon closer inspection. Under his name read _Temptation_ until a second fear engraved itself under the first before his eyes.

_Losing Elisa._

Dorian turns away with a scowl and makes to exit the small graveyard until he stumbles across Elisa’s name. Two fears were also found on the tombstone under her name. One of them read _Being alone_ , which Dorian had already suspected, the other reading similarly to his: _Losing Dorian._ The mage leaves with his eyes burning from unshed tears and joins the others after collecting himself. Cassandra glances in Hawke’s direction at his burden when the necromancer finally joins them.

“Most people fear being alone.”  
Dorian grits his teeth as they continue on. “Her fear runs deeper than you may think. She has a story that isn’t mine to tell.”  
The Seeker nods. “I don’t need it to trust her. She has done much for us and the Inquisition. Lady Umbra is a friend…and we all want to get her out just as badly as you.”  
Varric chuckles. “Spooky is the only other one besides the Inquisitor that can handle you.”  
A smile dared to tug at his lips. “Admit it. You’re just jealous of my charm and dashing good looks.”  
Hawke snorts from the rear. “I’m beginning to see what Varric means.”

Dorian feigns an offended tut before silence befalls them again; of course with the occasional and promptly ignored comments from the Nightmare. The demon which they soon found, and of course, the exit from the Fade behind it and the monstrosity beside it. Divine Justinia’s spirit was quick to destroy the Nightmare after some final words to the Inquisitor, sacrificing itself in the process. They were immediately thrown into battle against the Aspect of the Nightmare, and Hawke was quick to deposit Elisa against a rock as far from the fight as possible and he joined in as Dorian took his place in front of her. After throwing up a barrier around the two, the mage looks back when he hears a pained whimper, to find that the golden glow had disappeared.

She was suffering again.

Without wasting another moment, Dorian resumes his constant regenerative healing and when he can, he throws a few offensive spells at approaching demons. Cassandra thankfully stayed between Dorian’s barrier and the demons and at least attempted to keep them away. When any did manage to slip through and started striking at his barrier, Dorian had to keep his focus on keeping it up and continuing to heal his incapacitated ally. The Seeker would then slay the demons so Dorian could return to offensive spells. Of course, the two constant spells were rapidly draining his mana, and he had used his last lyrium potion a while ago.

The next Lightning Bolt he used on a crowd of demons caused black spots in his vision.

His barrier flickered momentarily but remained as he staggered back, using his staff as support. He trembles as he shakes his head to clear his vision before returning his attention to the battle, keeping his primary focus on the barrier and the healing spell. He was out of mana but offensive magic was all he could stop. If he were to stop one of the two constants, he and Elisa were vulnerable.

Cassandra soon notices the lack of storm magic and turns to him, eyes widening. “Dorian’s in trouble!” She shouts to the rest of the team.

Wasn’t that the understatement of the year.

A demon approaching the Seeker from behind has Dorian yelling out a warning before calling down a Lightning Bolt out of instinct. That was a terrible idea on his part. The spell took a lot out of him and his vision was spotting again. At this point, the only thing keeping him up was his staff as the barrier around him flickered dangerously. Moments later, it fell and another pained whimper met his ears as he slumped to his knees. Miraculously, the Aspect was killed as Dorian’s barrier fell, so no demons swarmed them. Instead, after some shouting that was beginning to sound garbled to the mage, he was pulled to his feet again and half dragged to the exit. Cool night air soon meets his face, cooling the sweat that had accumulated at his temples, unnoticed before.

“Lady Umbra and Dorian need healers! Quickly!”

The Seeker’s command was the last thing he remembered before Dorian’s world went black.  
*********  
Dorian woke to quiet conversation. Opening his eyes was something he quickly regretted as sunlight made his head throb painfully, and he threw an impossibly heavy arm over them to block out the light with a groan. The quiet chatter stopped at his vocal discomfort and soon a cool hand was placed on his forehead, effectively soothing his aching head a little.

“How do you feel?”  
So Nolan was there. “Do I look as terrible as I feel? Actually, don’t answer that. Just lie and tell me I look pretty.” Dorian risks pulling his arm away and squints against the light as he looks around. He was in the infirmary at Skyhold from the looks of it, but that couldn’t be possible. The journey from Adamant was at least three days. “Where are we?”  
“Skyhold.” Nolan pulls his hand away and replaces it with a damp towel. “The healers couldn’t do much for you at the fortress so we had to rush back. You nearly died from mana exhaustion.”  
“How long ago?”  
“You’ve been asleep for a week.”

That was unsurprising. Mana needed time to stabilize itself and regenerate when it was used the way Dorian had expended it. The reason for the abuse had the mage jolting up into a sitting position.

“Elisa!”  
Near the foot of the bed, Varric holds his hands out. “Spooky’s fine. She’s stable.”  
“She hasn’t woken up yet but we’ve all been taking turns keeping an eye on the both of you.” The Inquisitor picks up the towel that had fallen into Dorian’s lap and sets it on the table next to his bed. “Are you hungry?”  
Dorian frowns. “I’d much rather have a bath first.”  
Nolan nods. “I’ll have the bath in my room prepared. You can relax there.”  
“I…I need to see her first. I need to see for myself that she’s alright.”

Nolan nods again and Dorian carefully makes his way upright before walking into the adjoining room with the Inquisitor’s help. The mage finds the Commander in a chair by the occupied bed and the blonde looks up when the three approach, and then quickly relinquishes his seat for Dorian. He takes the spot gratefully and reaches out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Elisa’s ear before taking one of her hands and rubbing the back of it with his thumb. The other three men walk to the other side of the room to converse and give him some semblance of privacy which Dorian was thankful for. It made hiding his tears of relief much easier. Elisa has been deathly pale while they were in the Fade, but the color had returned and she looked reasonably well. From the look of it, she might wake up within the next couple of days once her body had sufficient rest after stabilizing itself. Dorian was grounding her for scaring him.

The mage gently returns her hand to the bed and Nolan helps him up to his quarters when Dorian stands up. Hot water was always available in the Inquisitor’s bath, much like the bathhouse, so all Dorian had to do was undress and sink into the stone pool with a quiet sigh. The trek up all of the stairs had been exhausting, so Nolan had stayed in case Dorian nodded off. As tempting as it sounded—the bath _was_ relaxing—he decided to make his bath quick. So he washed up, got out, and Nolan led him to his bed after the mage dried off. 

“Get some rest. I’ll be at my desk if you need anything.”  
“Mmph.” It was all Dorian could manage at the moment.

Nolan chuckles at the unintelligible response and turns to walk away until Dorian reaches out and grabs his arm.

“Amatus.”

The Inquisitor turns back and the mage pulls the man down into a tender kiss before resting his forehead on the other’s. The man truly had a kind heart and that was one of the things Dorian loved about him. He knew what the mage wanted—needed—and provided it to him. All without batting an eye. 

“Thank you,” he whispers.  
Dark blue eyes gaze at him fondly. “Rest Dorian.”  
The mage shifts onto his side and buries half of his face into his pillow. “Wake me if anything changes with sorora?”  
“Of course love.”

Love. The Inquisitor had a pet name for him. It gave Dorian a nice fluttering feeling in his chest, and this time he didn’t try to repress it.


	10. Chapter 10

Dorian took to sitting in the infirmary with Elisa’s prone form for the next couple of days, keeping himself occupied with research or light reading. He still exhausted easily, much to his frustration, but the healers thankfully didn’t complain when he climbed onto the cot next to Elisa to take naps when he needed them. They weren’t very happy when Nolan had taken him away for a proper bath and a comfortable bed, but Dorian had returned the next morning and the healers kept their complaints to a minimum since he was resting. The second day, Cullen brought his reports and a chessboard to keep the mage company, and of course to check on his object of affection.  
Dorian smirked at the thought as he made his move with a pawn.

“Dorian.”  
“Yes Commander?”  
“How old is Lady Umbra?” Cullen glances up at the mage after making his own play.  
“Didn’t your mother ever tell you it’s rude to ask about a lady’s age?”  
The blonde clears his throat as Dorian folds his hands and sits back. “Err…never mind.”  
“You make teasing you so easy.” The mage smiles. “She’s nineteen.”  
Cullen’s hand freezes over a knight. “I knew she was young but…”  
Dorian narrows his eyes. “Too young for you Commander? If so, perhaps you should stop trying to court her before you hurt her.”  
“No! I was only surprised!” He holds up his hands as if to placate the mage. “There’s no need for your magic.”

His magic? Dorian turns his attention to himself to indeed find that he had surrounded himself with storm magic. With a sigh, he dispels the magic and rubs his eyes with his forefinger and thumb. He had his magic under control—otherwise Cullen would not be keeping him company—but it the amount he could call upon was still fluctuating a bit so he had to be more careful. It got worse the more tired he got.

“I’m sorry. That wasn’t deliberate.”  
“We can stop for now if you need to rest.”  
“I’m fine Commander. I promise not to burn Skyhold to the ground.” Dorian reaches out to move another pawn and Cullen raises an eyebrow.  
“Are you even capable of that right now?”  
“Not unless I want to risk mana exhaustion again.”

The two continue their game for the next hour in silence as Dorian recalls what he was told happened at Adamant after escaping the Fade. After the battle, Hawke had immediately scooped up Elisa and fled with her while Cassandra had to help Dorian stumble out after them. Varric was close behind, and Nolan was the last to leave the rift before closing it behind him. When the mage asked about the Warden, he was informed Stroud stayed behind to fight the Nightmare that had reappeared, to ensure the rest of them were able to escape. No one had time to grieve at the time because the healers had told Nolan they couldn’t do much for Dorian and Elisa with what they had, and so he had them thrown onto a cart and rushed back to Skyhold. Even Hawke returned with them. He wanted to make sure the both of them survived so he stayed longer than he had planned. Apparently it wasn’t long before a very angry elf came to Skyhold looking for him. Varric was quick to tell Dorian to stay in the infirmary until Hawke could calm his lover. The elf was not very fond of Tevinter magisters, and even though Dorian was not a magister, he would not live long enough to make the correction if he was seen.

“Do you think I could get to my room?”  
“Why?”  
The mage sighs. “I would like to have some wine when lunch arrives. The good kind. Not that swill they serve in the tavern.”  
“I’ve seen you drink that swill.”  
“When I don’t have another option, of course. I sometimes believe if I drink more, it will get better. It doesn’t.”  
“I’m starting to believe you have a drinking problem Dorian.”  
Dorian scoffs. “Nonsense. If I did, Elisa would not win favors from Josephine and use them to get a good vintage for me.”  
“She spoils you.”  
“I return the kindness Commander. Otherwise, she would simply be happy with my presence.”  
“Your ego astounds me.”  
The mage frowns. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

Their conversation is soon interrupted by an agonized scream, and both men jump in their seats before looking toward Elisa to find her sitting up in bed, looking around wildly without actually seeing. Dorian swears and jostles the table in his haste to rush to her side, causing chess pieces to clatter onto the floor, which Cullen ignores as he steps closer after jumping up himself. The mage cautiously approaches the frantic girl, and when he gently cups her cheek, her unseeing gaze lands on him before she grabs his wrist in a painful grip. Dorian ignores the pain as he attempts to soothe her in Tevene, and silently thanks the Commander when the man stops their entering friends and the healers. They must have heard the scream and came to investigate.

“Dorian is trying to calm her. You might make it worse if she sees you.”

Trying was definitely the keyword at the moment. Elisa’s grip was tightening each second and the frenzied look in her eyes was not going away. He kept trying though, whispering in Tevene as calmly as possible, until a healer moved past the Commander and drew Elisa’s attention away from him. Dorian forms a wall of static between them and the healer, the spell showing the first hint of recognition from the young warrior when her grip slackens. 

“Dorian?”  
“You’re safe sorora.”  
Elisa releases a sob. “You were all dead…and it wouldn’t stop. It kept killing—“  
“Hush.”

Dorian sits on the bed and Elisa quickly curls into him while continuing to hold his wrist in a death grip, and lays her head over his heart. It was her way of assuring herself that he was indeed alive, and he would remain silent until she calmed down enough. Moments like these were rarely needed but it seemed the Nightmare still had a grip on her while she slept and terrorized her however it could. Now that she was awake, Elisa would be safe from it. Any future nightmares she had would not be directly influenced by the demon.  
He allows her a few more moments before dispersing his static wall, permitting the healers to come and look her over as thoroughly as Elisa would allow it with her position. Once satisfied that she seemed well enough, they left and the bedside was soon crowded by the Inquisitor, the Commander, and the Champion. Sera also managed to appear on the bed and hugged them both.

“You’re okay, yeah? I don’t want to lose my best prank partner.”  
Cullen visibly bristles at her words. “What did you do to my desk?!”  
Elisa wipes her eyes and pulls away from Dorian to smile at him. “I put a wedge under one of the legs. You seriously haven’t found it yet?”

The Commander leaves with a grumble, possibly to finally get his desk to stop wobbling, and Sera cackles at his retreating back before turning back to Elisa.

“You gonna do something else to Mr. Stick-up-his-arse?”  
“I have a couple of ideas. We’ll do something new whenever he figures it out and fixes the newest prank.”  
Dorian lunges at the elf and she hops off the bed with a snicker. “I’m the one who gets yelled at for your shenanigans! Stop dragging Elisa into it!”  
“It was Ellie’s idea in the first place! Talk to her!”

Sera leaves as well after sticking her tongue out at the mage and he sighs before glancing up at a very amused Champion.

“I definitely need some good wine now. Can I safely leave the infirmary now or will I be turned into a Tevinter kabob as soon as I step outside?”  
“Fenris will behave.”  
“If he doesn’t, I have someone that will avenge my death.” Dorian side-eyes Elisa. “I adore you pet, but I also like having two hands.”  
“Oh.” She finally releases his wrist and Dorian rubs it. “Sorry.”  
“Nothing to forgive. Do you want anything from our room?”  
Hawke laughs. “You two share a room?!”  
Both Dorian and Elisa ignore him. “I could use some chocolate right now.”  
“I’ll bring it but you have to eat lunch first. They’ll be bringing something soon.”  
Elisa pouts. “Yes Dad.” She blanches. “Just saying that left a bad taste in my mouth.”  
Dorian grimaces as he stands. “I think my ears are bleeding. I’m going to go vomit.”

The mage leaves the infirmary while Nolan and Hawke keep Elisa company, and makes his way toward their room for some desperately needed vintage wine. Even though he had been asleep for most of it, it had been a very tiresome week. Now that Elisa had finally woken up, he would be able to relax and return to his alcove to probably continue his work. His research of travel in the Fade was immediately thrown out the proverbial window since the incident at Adamant, and Solas had confronted him the day before after discovering his notes in the library. _She will die if you try to get her home,_ he had said. Dorian asked him if the elluvians would be an option and he was quick to turn down that idea as well. The mirrors were also connected to the Fade, not to mention there were hundreds of them and it wasn’t likely that there was one in her world. Dorian was both disappointed and glad. 

He wasn’t looking forward to telling Elisa that he couldn’t get her home. In a way it felt like he was breaking his promise, even though he knew that wasn’t the case.  
With a sigh he shoulders his bedroom door open and retrieves his bottle of wine, as well as a couple of glasses, and Elisa’s favored salted chocolate that he was sure Cullen was endlessly supplying her with. The poor man had it bad and Elisa was still blissfully unaware. Dorian might have to start hinting about the Commander’s feelings to her if that relationship were to go anywhere.

Dorian stops.

If their relationship actually managed to go anywhere, Elisa might choose to stay with Cullen instead of joining the mage in Tevinter. The Altus resumes his task of gathering what he needs, as well as grabbing some fresh clothes for Elisa. He would not be selfish. If she wanted to stay, it was not his place to deny her. Especially since she was stuck in a world she wasn’t completely used to. Once he collects what he came for, he leaves his room and returns the infirmary to find a third person had joined Nolan and the Champion. Hawke’s elf to be precise.

“Perhaps I should have brought more glasses.”

The three men turn to him when he speaks and he sets his collection onto the table after he cleans up the forgotten chess game. Hawke then motions toward the mage.

“Fen…Dorian Pavus. Lady Umbra’s designated brother.”  
A silver brow shoots up. “You are related?”  
Dorian struggles with the cork in the bottle of wine. “Only by name. Fasta vass! Why is this—“ He examines the cork and narrows his eyes when he finds sap. “Sorora…what is the meaning of this?”  
“What are you talking about?” Elisa swings her legs out from under the blankets and sits on the edge of her cot.  
“There’s sap on the cork.”  
“Why would I do that? I’m the one that would have to listen to you complain.”  
Dorian sighs. “Sera.” He holds the bottle of wine out toward the trio of men. “Would one of you open this please? Opening it with magic would be messy and pointless.”  
Fenris was surprisingly the one to grab the bottle and successfully pull the cork out after a couple attempts of his own. “At least the mage has good taste. Very Tevinter of you Pavus.”  
“A compliment and an insult. I’m flattered.” Dorian replies dryly as he takes the opened bottle back. He then slams his hand over the parchment wrapped chocolate and gazes coolly at Elisa and her outstretched hand. “ _After lunch._ Or I will eat it then forbid Cullen and Josephine from getting you anymore.”

She backs off with a huff just as a couple of servants arrive with trays of food for the lot of them. After rearranging some furniture closer to Elisa’s cot, the food is distributed among the five of them and the servants leave them to their meal. Extra glasses had been provided so Dorian was able to share the wine, excluding Elisa who was happy enough with some water. The mage didn’t want to risk causing complications to her health after waking recently and Elisa understood his concerns. So much so that she didn’t even grumble. Another Maker-forsaken miracle.

“Garrett tells me that Lady Umbra matches me in battle.” Fenris picks at his grapes as Dorian indulges in his wine.  
“I’ve never seen you fight so I can’t agree or disagree.”  
“I’m right here.” Elisa huffs at the two.  
“Hush and eat your food.”

A knife imbeds itself into the table next to his hand and Dorian glares at Nolan when he clears his throat.

“Did you give her knives Amatus?”  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”


	11. Chapter 11

A pitiful whine caught Dorian’s attention as they were making their way to camp in the Emerald Graves. Normally it would have been Elisa that would have gone looking for the suffering creature, but she had not joined them on this trip. So the mage was the one to stop and look around. His search didn’t last long as he finally found a young fennec caught in a bear trap by the river, looking up at them. He tried to ignore it, the thing would probably die soon anyway, but he could hear Elisa scolding him for not at least trying to save it. The girl had a soft spot for animals.

Dorian huffs loudly and slides down to the injured creature.

“You’re wasting your time Sparkler!” Varric sounded amused though.  
“Yes, well, I’m sure one of you will rat me out and I will be yelled at.” The mage releases the trap and the fennec scampers a few feet away after Dorian quickly heals its leg. It eyes him warily and he waves it away. “Go home you miserable furball.”

The fox-like creature runs off and Dorian climbs back up to the others with a look, daring them to say something. Thankfully he was only greeted with amused expressions before they finished their walk to camp, and Dorian promptly crawled into a tent for sleep. Nolan must have joined him soon after because he was rudely awakened by a tongue on his face, and he scowls without opening his eyes.

“Amatus…there are better ways to wake me up. Although this is surprising.”  
The Inquisitor laughs from behind him. “That isn’t me Dorian.”  
Gray eyes crack open and then widen at the sight of the same fennec he had helped earlier that evening. “Fasta vass! What is that doing here?!”  
“It looks young. Its mother probably abandoned it when it got caught in the trap.”  
“I am not your mother,” Dorian scoots the creature out of the tent before lying back down with his face to Nolan’s chest. The one time he helped an injured animal…  
…and it came back. This time it hopped onto the mage’s hip and turned once before settling into sleep. The occurrence only caused Nolan to laugh even harder until Dorian smacks him. The mage was starting to think that if he was nice to anyone—or any _thing_ —else; he would have to open an orphanage. Or a zoo.

“It’s going to follow us to Skyhold.”  
“Not if we ditch it.”

Dorian tried too, but it followed him _everywhere_ around camp. It sat next to him while he ate breakfast, sat at his feet while he made more potions to replenish their supplies, and even settled in his lap as he dozed while waiting for the others to finish packing up. Varric, of course, had a field day and teased him all morning, and even Cassandra joined in. Traitorous woman.

“You really are a mother hen Sparkler.”  
“Blood mage! If I’m going to be seen as something so atrocious I would rather be seen as a blood mage!”

With a final attempt to get rid of the fennec, Dorian mounts his horse and urges it forward. Until it cried. Loudly.

The mage cringes at the sound before whipping his head around to glare at the fox that continued to cry from its perch on a log. Dorian swears loudly in Tevene as he stops his horse.

“Miserable thing. I’m not getting down! If you want to come so badly then you will have to earn it!” The fennec stops its crying and stares at him before climbing a tree nearest to the mage and jumping onto his shoulder. Dorian then glares at the dwarf when he snickers. “Not. A. Word.”

The first half of their journey thankfully passed in silence, and at one point, the fox had curled into the collar of his robes behind his neck and fell asleep. Cassandra merely sighed with adoration, and Varric miraculously bit his tongue. They didn’t need to know that Dorian actually found the whole thing quite pleasant. The creature kept him warm once they made it to the Frostback Mountains, and even though it had woken up in the second half of their trip, it seemed content where it was.

Cassandra was the one to finally break the long silence. “Are you going to name it Dorian?”  
The man sniffs. “Why should I? It is a wild animal.”  
The Seeker scoffs. “It is as much a wild animal as Varric is in line to be the next Divine. You can’t keep calling it a miserable furball.”  
“It answers well enough to it.”  
Nolan glances at him from beside him with a smirk. “So you’ll call it a miserable furball in front of Elisa?”  
Dorian hunches his shoulders and the fennec licks the side of his face, which he abruptly pushes it away from his face. “I am not good with names. Perhaps I’ll let Elisa name it.”  
Varric grins. “Spooky’s going to tease you.”  
“All of Skyhold is going to tease me.”

To his surprise though, no one did when they finally arrived back home. The probably assumed the fennec was a new pelt he had picked up the way the creature was wrapped around his neck. He took advantage of their ignorance and went to his room to put away his belongings and change out of his battle attire, forcing the fennec to jump onto the bed now that there was no support behind the mage’s neck. Once Dorian finally finished with his routine, he made his way to the library, and was glad to notice that he did not have to pay attention to where he was stepping. The fox either trailed next to his feet or behind him, so the mage at least didn’t have to worry about face-planting onto the floor if he tripped over it and make an ass of himself.

“…Dorian.” He stops at the foot of the stairs in the rotunda and the fox proceeds to circle his feet, earning a raised eyebrow from Solas. “Did you tame a fennec?”  
“Not intentionally.”

Dorian climbs the stairs before the elf can inquire more about it and he gathers some books from the shelves. If the miserable thing was set on staying with him, he figured he would have to look into its care. He wasn’t _that_ heartless.

He turns toward his armchair and sighs when he finds the fennec curled up on it. “That is my chair vulpeso. Off with you.” Surprisingly, the fox moves to the arm of the chair and then to Dorian’s lap when the mage sits down, and falls back asleep. “You seem entirely too pleased with yourself.”

With a sigh he turns to his books, and after a few minutes begins to absent-mindedly scratch the top of the fox’s head. It was how Elisa found him about an hour later, and she had actually stopped and stared for a few moments before crouching in front of the mage and taking over his task of petting the fennec. It sleepily cracks an eye open and regards the new human before puffing out its acceptance and going back to sleep.

“I thought Varric was joking when he said you brought home a fennec.”  
“Maybe you can take it. It seems to like you.”  
Elisa grins up at him. “It only likes me because ‘Mommy’ wasn’t threatened.”  
Dorian leers at her from over his book. “I am not its mother.”  
“If you say so. What did you name it?”  
The necromancer turns a page in his book. “Miserable furball.” Elisa levels him with an unimpressed look. “If you want to name it that will be your job.”  
She observes his small burden for a couple of minutes. “Looks like it’s a boy. How about Kit?”  
“As you wish sorora.” He sighs and closes his book. “I’m going to be known as the Tevinter mage that takes in strays at this rate. You’ve both efficiently ruined my evil magister reputation. What do you have to say for yourself?”  
“I used a favor from Josephine and got a bottle of wine for you for when you got back.”  
Dorian smiles. “At least one of my strays gives back. Have you had dinner?”  
“I was actually coming up to get you.”

The mage hums in response before picking up Kit by his scruff—receiving a sleepy purr—and setting him on the floor as he stands with Elisa. He starts toward the stairs with her and notices her glance back at their new family member and he sighs audibly.

“He will follow sorora.”

True to his word, Kit quickly notices the mage’s departure and hurries after him as they descend the stairs and exit to the Great Hall. Dorian ignores the coos of admiration when the noble guests notice his furry companion, and grabs a couple of filled plates before steering his human companion to the inner circle’s table. Once they settle, Kit jumps up next to Dorian, and the man quickly shoos him back to the floor before asking a passing servant for some raw meat.

“Never thought I’d see you caring for an animal.” Blackwall mutters.  
“I’m telling you! Mother hen!” Varric chuckles at Dorian’s glare. “Sorry. I meant blood mage.”  
“I am going to say this one time. This was not intentional, but since I decided to be nice to a wounded animal, I’m stuck with him.”  
Iron Bull guffaws. “You mean you haven’t learned the first time? That’s exactly what happened with the kid!”  
“Elisa was intentional. There’s a difference.”  
Leliana watches the fennec from her spot at the end of the table, across Dorian. “He is surprisingly calm considering how many people are around. He must look at you as his mother if he is basing his safety on your reactions.”  
Elisa elbows Dorian. “Told you. Mommy.”  
“I am not his mother and I would appreciate if you would stop referring to me as such.” The mage grumbles into his wine. The servant comes back with the raw meat and the mage cuts it into smaller pieces before setting it on the ground in front of Kit.  
The rest of the table exchange looks before looking back at Dorian. “Mother.” They all say in unison.

Dorian groans. That was it. He was now seen as a brother to a strange woman—which he didn’t mind in the least—and a mother to a fennec. _That_ he minded. It wasn’t like he could do much about it though. Everyone had made up their minds just like they had when they started calling Elisa ‘Lady Umbra’. If they so much as called him mother though, he was going to burn them alive. Hopefully they all had enough decency to refrain from that.

Dorian and Elisa finish their dinner, and after saying good night, they retreat to their room and Elisa crawls into bed after changing into her sleeping robes. The mage changes into his sleeping attire as well, but turns to their wardrobe instead and begins to dig through it. Some muttered Tevene words and a slammed finger later, Dorian closes the wardrobe with a small box in his hand and then tosses it to Elisa who catches it easily and looks at it curiously. The mage rubs his injured finger as she opens it and the girl furrows her eyebrows when she pulls out a ring.

“It’s a bit of a precaution.” He explains. “I was going to give it to you before I left but I didn’t have the time.”  
“This looks familiar.” Elisa slips the ring on.  
“It was one of mine. I enchanted it and Dagna made it smaller. A bit of extra protection as it was.” He slides into bed next to her and Kit jumps up as well, making himself comfortable against the mage’s chest when he settles on his side. “Miserable furball.” Dorian made no move to shove the fox away though.  
“Extra protection? For what?”  
Dorian sighs. “Just humor me sorora. It is a gift.” He wouldn’t tell her about the Fade. She had no memory of their time in it, and he didn’t want her to know what he had done to keep her alive. It would only strengthen her unnerving devotion to him.  
“Thank you Dorian.” Elisa kisses his cheek and he huffs in response.  
“You can thank me by taking this pitiful thing from me.”  
“His name is Kit and you already like him. Admit it.”  
Gray eyes close. “I will have you flogged if you tell anyone.”  
“The Inquisitor?”  
“Good night sorora.”  
“Okay. Just Cole then.”

Dorian shoves Elisa out of bed and she lands on the ground with a startled ‘oof’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I believe I read somewhere that Tevene was derived from Latin (or at least partially) so I used the Latin word for fox (vulpes) and just added an O at the end since it was a male fox. If it was a female, I would have added an A instead.  
> So I made up a Tevene word.


	12. Chapter 12

_You may want to leave Lady Umbra behind when we go to the Temple of Mythal._

Dorian considered having the witch tell Elisa that herself. She didn’t know how stubborn his adopted sister could be, especially since the mage still had not told her what had happened at Adamant. He didn’t want to, but he did have to tell her that he couldn’t get her home, and he could only do that if she knew why. Based on Morrigan’s words, it was safe to assume that something related to the Fade would be found in the temple and Dorian didn’t want a repeat of their time in it. Perhaps Elisa could still join them until they reached the Temple of Mythal and then send her back to join Cullen. It would give the Commander a chance to grow a backbone and say something to the girl. Dorian glances out the window of his alcove and watches the battlements in surprise.

Or the Commander would grow a backbone now.

Cullen was currently hovering closer to Elisa’s side than usual, his body language telling the mage that he was seriously considering making a move. _It’s about bloody time,_ Dorian thought. Watching Cullen continue with his subtle hints was becoming so tiring that the necromancer almost threw them both into a room so he could lock it until the Commander finally did do something. Even Leliana and Josephine were growing annoyed with the man’s actions. 

A soft yip momentarily distracts Dorian from his observation and the man relinquishes one of the grapes in his hand to the creature as he returns his attention to Cullen and Elisa. The ex-Templar must have been feeling braver because he was even closer to the young woman. So close that even she would know his intentions at that proximity. All the man had to do was lean down just a bit—

And get interrupted by a runner.

“Damnit Jim!” Dorian curses. Even he could feel the Commander’s anger from the safety of the library. 

Cullen was surely glaring at Jim because he had fled back into the direction he had come from, and the Commander turned back to Elisa. Only to find that she was gone. Dorian had watched her run off when the Commander turned to deal with the interruption, and his heart went out to the man when his shoulders slumped in dejection. He couldn’t catch a break, and Dorian hoped the man wouldn’t stop trying just because Elisa disappeared on him. This was Cullen though. He would probably take it as rejection and move on after a couple of days of sulking. That wouldn’t do at all.

“Vulpeso…let’s go cheer up our Commander. Maker knows there will be no living with him if we leave him like this.”

Dorian turns from the window and makes the quick trip to Cullen’s office with Kit trailing at his feet. The fennec was far cleverer than the mage expected, but he was also very strange. He seemed to understand the necromancer—at least for the most part—and was taking Dorian’s ‘training’ in stride. Training only consisted of staying on the ground during meals and staying off the seat of his chair in the library though. Thankfully, he did not have to train the fox to do his business outside. It was the only time Kit left his side, and at one time Dorian made the mistake of leaving before he returned. Instead of tracking the man’s scent to find him, Kit just cried until someone brought the mage back. It was then that Dorian decided he had to find a way to get the fox to stay calm in case he had to walk away from where Kit left him. Especially since their trip to the Arbor Wilds was coming up. Dorian couldn’t bring the fennec with him on outings.

The mage opens the door to Cullen’s office once he gives the man ample warning by knocking, and the Commander sighs when he looks up at him.

“I’ll forgive you for not being overwhelmed by my presence because of what happened on the battlements. You poor man.”  
Cullen groans. “You saw that?”  
“For what it’s worth, she probably would have let you kiss her.”  
The blonde blushes and coughs as he rubs the back of his neck. “Then why do I feel like I’ve been rejected?”  
“Elisa isn’t accustomed to being…looked at. My belief is that you are the first person to be romantically interested in her.”  
“That can’t be true.” Cullen scowls when Kit jumps onto his desk, but then smirks when the fox jumps toward Dorian and clings to the front of the mage’s clothing. “He just hangs there?”  
“It’s one of his stranger tendencies. Just ignore him.”  
“One of them?”  
“He also likes to hang over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes. It figures I would find the one fennec that was probably dropped by its mother after it was born.” Dorian pets the fennec’s head and Kit purrs at the attention. “Anyway, I figured I would come distract you with a game or two of chess.”

Cullen eyes the paperwork on his desk and Dorian watches with satisfaction when he finally moves them into piles to make room for the chessboard. As the Commander sets up their game, Dorian pulls an extra chair up to the desk and crosses a leg over the other when he sits down. Naturally, Kit was content to stay in his strange position and nuzzle the underside of the mage’s chin.

“I hope you don’t plan on quitting Commander.”  
Cullen frowns. “We haven’t even started Dorian.”  
The mage huffs out in exasperation. “I meant with Elisa.”  
“I…err…no. Not since you said that her disappearing wasn’t her rejection.”  
“I have to say, I was surprised to see you make the attempt. I thought someone was going to have to lock you both in a room.”  
Instead of blushing again like Dorian thought he would, he grimaced instead. “Adamant made me realize how easily someone could be taken away. Both of you gave us all a scare a couple of times.”  
Dorian furrows his brow as he moves a bishop. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  
“On our way back, you stopped breathing. The healer riding in the cart with you was able to revive you, and a little while after, Lady Umbra had a fit.” Cullen rubs his eyes. “Then you had a fit…it was a nightmare. We didn’t think you two would make it.” A mouse peeks out of a hole in the wall next to one of Cullen’s bookcases and Kit scrambles off of Dorian to chase it. “I made a promise to myself that if Lady Umbra survived, I would do more to show her my intentions.”  
“Here I thought you were just being bold.” A loud squeak draws their attention to the fennec and they find the mouse hanging dead in Kit’s mouth. “Outside you miserable furball. I don’t want to have to replace the Commander’s rugs because you got blood on them.”  
Kit happily trots out an open door and Cullen smiles. “Good riddance. That mouse has been eating my reports for the past month.”  
“Karma has decided to make it fennec food. It’s a bit of a relief to know he was taught to hunt before his mother abandoned him.”  
“The Inquisitor had mentioned rodent problems in his room as well.”  
“Then I shall bring the pitiful thing with me when I decide to have my wicked way with Nolan again.”  
“Dorian.”  
“Although hearing dying squeaks during our love-making would hardly be stimulating—“  
“Dorian!”  
The mage smiles innocently at the man across the chessboard. “Yes?”  
“Do you make it a daily task to torment me?”  
“Oh dear, you found me out.”

Cullen answers him with a heavy sigh and makes his move on the chessboard as Kit returns to them, and Dorian allows the creature onto his lap after examining him for mouse bits. Elisa was right; the mage was quickly growing fond of the fennec even if his words told people otherwise. Part of the fondness originated from when Dorian had gotten a little too close to a training session consisting of a Templar and a mage. Mages were being trained to use their staffs as weapons instead of just a channeling tool, and to do that, Templars used their Silence ability to render magic useless so the mages had no choice but to resort to physical attacks. Dorian had gotten too close, so the Silence affected him as well, and since he wasn’t expecting it, it brought him to his knees. During Dorian’s panic of having his magic ripped from him, Kit had taken a stance in front of him and growled at anyone who tried to approach the mage to help. Of course it was pointless, but Dorian appreciated it all the same. Elisa was the one to help him through his anxiety, as one of the soldiers had brought her when they realized the fennec wouldn’t allow anyone near Dorian. Thankfully Elisa was an exception. 

“I’m waiting to hear rumors that you control that with blood magic.” Cullen motions toward Kit.  
“You mean there aren’t any yet? I need to do something about that.”  
“Dorian…you need to accept the fact that you are the nice Tevinter.”  
“Never.” Dorian knocks over Cullen’s king with his own. “I believe the game is mine. I think I’ll celebrate my victory in the tavern. Would you like to join me?”  
“I really should get back to my work.”  
“As you wish.” He moves to stand and Kit climbs onto his shoulder where he proceeds to hang on it like a pelt, and Cullen laughs at the sight. “I told you. Sack of potatoes. Clever little thing…but strange.”  
Cullen stifles his laughing behind a fist. “It adds to his charm.”  
“Excuse me while I go drown my embarrassment in dishwater.”  
“I thought it was for your victory.”  
“Things change.” Dorian walks to the door with a wave. “I meant what I said by the way. You shouldn’t give up on her.”  
Cullen’s grunt was his only response as he left the Commander’s office.

*******  
Dorian hadn’t stayed in the tavern long. The ale truly tasted of dishwater and he didn’t think he could stomach a refill, so he went back to the library. He may have also been teased by Krem and Iron Bull when they saw Kit’s strange slumped position over his shoulder, but it stopped when the Qunari made the mistake of poking the fennec and got a chomped finger. Dorian made a mental note to reward him with some fruit as he leans over his table to sift through the unorganized papers. Usually he would ask Elisa to help with keeping everything tidy, but she was sure to notice the absence of his research on Fade travel. He was still trying to think of how to bring that subject up as gently as possible.

“Researching something important?” Elisa walks up next to him and reaches up to pet the sleeping fennec.  
“Nolan has me looking into three different things and none of the papers want to stay together.”  
“Finding a way to get me home isn’t helping I guess.” Dorian stiffens and she frowns. “You are still looking into that aren’t you?”  
The mage swallows and looks away. “No.” 

He knew what he would see if he looked at her. Betrayal and disappointment. He could still hear it in her voice though. 

“You’re breaking your promise?!”  
“Of course not! I told you I would try and I did!”  
“Why did you stop? Why didn’t you tell me?!”  
Kit wakes at Elisa’s rising tone and Dorian grabs him before setting him on the ground where the fox dashes behind his feet with a whine. “What is the last thing you remember about Adamant?”  
“What does this have to do with getting me home?”  
“Everything. Now please…the last thing?”  
Elisa folds her arms and sighs. “Falling off the bridge.”  
Dorian nods. “I thought so. We didn’t hit the ground though. Nolan opened the rift and we fell into it.”  
“Why don’t I remember that?”  
“You collapsed. The Fade was killing you so Hawke had to carry you to the exit.”

Dorian then told her about the spirit of Divine Justinia and her spell, and how the spell dispersed when the spirit sacrificed itself. He told her about the battle—being sure to leave out what he had to do to keep her alive—and what he remembered happening afterward. Elisa frowns as she mulls over the information, and Dorian felt his stomach drop. She was finding holes in his story. He didn’t want her to feel even more obligated to him for what he did.

“You’re hiding something.” Dorian flinches when she levels a glare at him. “You’ve kept a barrier up while using offensive spells before. Even when exhausted. What happened after the spirit’s spell evaporated?”  
So much for keeping it from her. He should have known better. “The Fade was killing you again…so I had to cast a renewing spell to keep you alive. It needed constant focus.”  
Red eyes widen with alarm. “What were you thinking? You could have killed yourself!”  
Dorian huffs angrily. “I was thinking that I had to get my sister out of danger! My promise to you was only the second reason! Why does this bother you?! I thought we were past this!” Elisa’s eyes mist over as she looks away from him and the mage takes a breath. “I wasn’t about to leave you to die alone in that terrible place, especially if I could avoid it. You would have done the same for me and we both know it.” He cups her face and turns it back to his before leaning down and resting his forehead against hers. “Last I checked most families protect their kin. I say most because mine would rather risk turning me into a drooling vegetable to change me into someone that meets their specifications and live a lie. I could do nothing for Felix, but I could save you from the Fade. I would do it again too.”  
“Your research…”  
“If you go into the Fade again…you will die. I believe you survived Adamant because of the spirit’s help. Otherwise, we both would have died.”  
Elisa moves away. “Can’t Solas ask another spirit to do the same thing?”  
“No. He said normal spirits would not be able to do what she did.”  
Elisa sighs quietly. “You really did try…didn’t you?”  
“I’m sorry sorora.”  
Dorian kisses the top of her head as he pulls away and Elisa crouches next to his feet to pet the cowering fennec. “Can I still go to Tevinter with you?”  
“I told you that you could terrorize the Magisterium didn’t I?”  
“Poisoned wine or bloody throats?”  
“It depends on the person. We will discuss that later.”  
“I could always slip magebane into their food.”  
“That’s just cruel.” Dorian turns back to his table with a smile. “Fantastic idea though. It will turn them all into a blubbering mess. Perhaps I’ll hire a painter for the occasion.”  
Elisa snorts and rubs Kit’s ears. “Your mommy is an insufferable pampered brat.”  
“I resent that!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I figured that Dorian and Elisa’s relationship shouldn’t be perfect and that they should at least have some sort of argument.  
> Also, I wish I could draw because I would love to see a picture of Kit hanging off the front of Dorian’s clothes (or hanging over his shoulder like a pelt) and Dorian just acting nonchalant about it.


	13. Chapter 13

As annoyed as Dorian was with Morrigan for not telling them everything before they went into the temple, he was extremely grateful that she had at least warned him to keep Elisa away. Now that the girl knew about the personal danger of being in the Fade, she had not put up a fuss when Dorian sent her back to where they last saw the Commander. It was a good thing, because they had to escape the Temple of Mythal by an eluvian when Corypheus arrived and realized they had beaten him to the Well of Sorrows. They made their way through the Crossroads back to the eluvian in Skyhold where the mage was currently dusting himself off after their narrow escape. He was at least glad that Nolan had not drank from the well even if having the witch drink from it wasn’t much better. It was the lesser of the two evils he supposed.

“So Sparkler…how do you plan on spending your last couple of days alive?”  
Dorian looks at Varric with confusion. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  
The dwarf smirks. “You know. Until Spooky gets back and murders you for not coming out of the temple the way she expected?”  
“I’m trying not to think about that. Now excuse me while I go find my other stray.”  
“We’ll get in a game of Wicked Grace before she gets back!”

The mage waves over his shoulder as he leaves the others in the room containing the eluvian and as soon as he steps through the first door to Josephine’s office after making his way into the Great Hall, he stops. From the sound of things, their ambassador was speaking with some nobles, and the topic of their conversation was what irked Dorian.

“He will not answer to anyone but Lord Pavus with the rare occasion of Lady Umbra. I am only watching him until they return.”  
Dorian hears a scoff in response. “He is here with you is he not? He can be taught.”  
“I really must insist that you leave him—“  
Kit’s whine is what has the mage throwing open the second door with an angry flourish. “Vulpeso!”

The reaction was instantaneous. Kit was quick to scamper between the legs of the nobleman that had cornered him, and over to Dorian before climbing the mage’s robes and settling on his chest. Kit greets him with some nuzzling under his chin before chittering and whimpering his woes to him. Dorian was sure he was complaining about being left behind as well as being handled by someone other than him. With a sigh, the mage murmurs quietly to the fennec to soothe him before turning to Josephine and ignoring her scowling guest.

“Dorian, you are back earlier than expected.”  
“I’ll let Nolan tell you why. Thank you for keeping an eye on this miserable furball. I hope he wasn’t too much trouble.”  
Josephine smiles. “He was unhappy but he behaved himself. Where is Lady Umbra?”  
“With Commander Cullen in the Wilds. I believe the Inquisitor is having Leliana send a raven to them as we speak. Now if you don’t mind, we will leave you to…” He glances at the nobleman. “…this. I could use a nap.”

Dorian leaves the room, ignoring the insult the noble spits at his back as he makes his way to his room to undress and unwind. The next couple of days consisted of reading, research, or long baths in the Inquisitor’s room—and he also brought Kit along to hunt for the rodents that Cullen had told him about—with the man’s permission of course. Nolan actually insisted he use his private bath. Dorian also brought his research to the Inquisitor’s room to spend some more time with the man even if it was in silence, or the occasional small talk, sometimes being interrupted by a loud squeak when Kit found a mouse. Nolan really did have a rodent problem.

“How many is that now?” Nolan looks up at the sound of another squeak and watches with amusement as Kit takes it to the balcony over hanging the mountain side and dropping the dead mouse. When the fennec had a full belly, he had looked to Dorian for instruction with a mouse in his mouth, and the mage had merely motioned to the balcony. That had started the fox’s disposal, and even Dorian was impressed that Kit understood.  
“You apparently have a nest somewhere Amatus.”  
“He’s putting Skyhold’s cats to shame. Are you sure you can’t stay?” Nolan of course was referring to their conversation about him returning to Tevinter after Corypheus was gone. It had been up in the air until the elves at the temple had said that the Imperium was not responsible for their downfall.  
“I will be staying for a while afterwards…and I will visit.” Dorian sprawls across the couch and lays his book on his face. “Do you think the Commander will do something before then?”  
Nolan snorts. “If he doesn’t, I’m firing him. Do you think she would stay for him?”  
Although Nolan can’t see it, Dorian frowns beneath his book. “I don’t know Amatus.”

Silence passes for a few minutes until another squeak resounds in the room and the resident mouse catcher trots over to the balcony to drop his kill. This continued for a while until Dorian dozed off on the couch, and then woken up about an hour later when a body wedges itself between him and the back of the couch. When a head rests over his heart, the mage didn’t even need to lift his book to know that it was not Nolan.

“Sorora you smell.”  
“Just for a minute.” Was her quiet response. Dorian didn’t comment further since he knew she was just reassuring herself, and would go clean up when she felt better.  
“You’re welcome to my bath Elisa.”  
“Yes, we wouldn’t want to traumatize the Commander again.” The mage mumbles, earning a quiet laugh from the youngest. He then grunts when Kit jumps up onto his chest and curls up. “The two of you…” He sighs. “I am not a bed.”

He complained but he still had no inclination to move them as they were warm and Dorian felt himself dozing off again. He was content to be in between the waking world and sleep while listening to Nolan move papers around his desk, and—much to his amusement—to the almost inaudible snores from both Kit and Elisa. So much for just a minute. His snooze only lasted until Cullen came up to give the Inquisitor more paperwork some twenty minutes later.

“How do they even fit on that couch? Is that even comfortable?”  
“They’re adorable. Let them sleep.”  
“Tsk. Adorable?” Dorian removes the book from his face and sits up with some effort, causing Kit to tumble to his lap with a grumpy yip, and Elisa to sit up and yawn. “Bath.” He says to the ravenette who grunts in response before climbing over him and Kit to sleepily make her way into the adjoining bathroom. Since there was no door, Cullen was quick to turn away and Dorian looks at him smugly.  
“Perhaps I’ll join her.” Dorian only said this to get a reaction out of the blonde man, and it was glorious. The man blushed deeply and sputtered before clearing his throat and turning his attention back to Nolan and tried to pretend he didn’t just look like an idiot. The mage sighs. “You make it so easy.”  
Nolan smiled. “Quit teasing my military advisor, love. He might combust.”  
“Even you will not deprive me of this hobby. There is very little to do around here.”  
Cullen rubs his eyes. “Isn’t there someone else you can torment?”  
Dorian smirks. “Your reactions are far too entertaining…and what makes you think I don’t torment others? You’re just my favorite.”  
The blonde groans. “Find a new favorite.”  
“Certainly not!”  
“Dorian! I can’t find my soap!” Gray eyes sparkle with glee when the Commander blushes again, and their owner stands after shooing the fennec off. With another grumpy huff, Kit jumps to the ground and Dorian walks into the bathroom to find Elisa rummaging through a sack from the stone pool.  
“So needy pet. Don’t you remember using it up before we left for the Arbor Wilds? Use something else.”  
Elisa pouts. “Embrium is my favorite though.” 

She does end up choosing the vanilla soap, and as she pulls away to turn back into the tub, something red catches Dorian’s eye and he immediately lunges forward and drops to his knees. The mage grabs her arm and Elisa stares at him incredulously as he examines the wound on her arm. It was when he tilted her arm away that he saw it. A sliver of red lyrium.

“When did you get this wound?!”  
Elisa frowns. “After you guys went into the temple. Why?”

That was days ago. How had the lyrium not grown? It probably would have covered her arm by now. Better yet, he wanted to know how he didn’t hear it. Maybe he was closer to sleep during his doze than he thought.

“You don’t hear it?”  
“Hear what? Dorian, you’re scaring me.”  
The mage gapes at her. “I should be the one to say that! Look!” He points out the lyrium sitting in the gash in her arm and he squawks when she simply pulls it out and tosses it next to the sack. “Elisa…your arm should be covered in that.”  
The girl raises an eyebrow at him, pulls her arm away, and she turns to start washing herself. “It’s not the first time.”  
Dorian stares at her. “You mean to tell me that you’ve had red lyrium in wounds before?”  
“Yes.”  
“You’re _immune_ to the effects of red lyrium? _How_?”

She stops and looks away. “I don’t know. I don’t want to be poked and prodded at though.”  
The necromancer didn’t blame her one bit. As much as it would help to find out why, and see if it could be implemented to help other people, Dorian was not going to subject her to the whims of healers and researchers. Elisa had been through enough of that. He would let her be selfish.

“No. Of course not. I won’t let that happen.” Dorian moves back to his feet after getting a relieved sigh from her, and he exits the bathroom to find Nolan and Cullen staring at him. Right. No door. They probably overheard. “Don’t say anything. This doesn’t leave this room.”  
Cullen knits his brow. “But it could help—“  
“ _No._ If I hear that you asked her I will not hesitate to scorch you Commander. She has had enough of…research. It’s not for me to say anything else.”  
Thankfully the Commander seemed to understand. “Alright.”

Another squeak resonates through the room along with the splashing from Elisa’s bath before the three return to their tasks. At first the quiet was awkward, but thankfully it didn’t last very long as Cullen and the Inquisitor began to discuss their reports. Dorian took that time to tell Kit to stay so he could grab some fresh clothes for Elisa and maybe some bandages in case the red lyrium blocked any of his healing. Once he did just that, he returned to the Inquisitor’s room and into the bathroom to find Elisa in a towel and using another to dry her hair.

“Let me see your arm.”

Elisa holds her arm out to him once she puts the towel aside, and Dorian hovers one of his hands over the wound and releases some Creation magic. The two watch as the green mist slowly knits her skin back together, and when nothing but a pink scar is left behind, Elisa wordlessly hands Dorian her brush before sitting on a stool. They had done this routine so often that it hardly took the mage any time at all to brush and braid her hair. When he finishes, he hands the girl some clean clothes and kisses the top of her head.

“Hungry sorora?” He kneels to gather the soaps and oils as she gets dressed.  
“I’d rather take a nap. The Commander doesn’t seem to know what that is.”  
“It’s the armor. It’s enchanted to keep him energized.”  
“I can hear you!”  
Elisa smiles at Dorian. “He thinks we care.” This of course earns an annoyed huff from the blonde.  
“Very well. A nap then lunch, yes? I’m sure Nolan won’t mind if you stay up here if you want to stay with me.”  
“As long as I can lay with you on the couch again. I was comfortable.”

Dorian smiles and leads her back to the couch, and then retakes his earlier position on the couch before Elisa wedges herself between him and the back of the couch once again. Kit was also quick to take his place on Dorian’s chest once the fennec realized their intentions, and both were quick to fall asleep. Of course that was when he noticed he had left his book on Nolan’s bed.

He clears his throat. “Could one of you please get my book for me? I refuse to lay here and twiddle my thumbs while my strays sleep.”  
Cullen chuckles as he grabs the reports that Nolan hands to him, and then retrieves the desired book from the Inquisitor’s bed before handing it to the mage. “I’ll leave you to it then. Inquisitor.” The man nods to Nolan and then leaves the room.  
“Looks cozy. Maybe I should join you.”  
Dorian glares at the man. “Don’t you dare! There’s no room!”

The Inquisitor grins mischievously and stands and the mage throws his hand out with sparks jumping at his fingertips.

“Don’t test me Amatus!”  
Dorian watches him apprehensively as he walks over to them, and then drops his hand onto his book when the man sits on the floor next to the couch. “Maybe next time I’ll have you all lay on my bed. That way I _can_ join you. I could use a nap.”  
The mage sighs and reaches over to thread fingers through brown hair. “This is all because of your influence.”  
Nolan closes his eyes as he enjoys Dorian’s ministrations. “It’s not just mine.”  
“Hush.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I’m sorry this chapter took longer than usual. Had stuff come up IRL and wasn’t really in the mood (or feeling good enough) to do much. Anyway, there will probably be one or two more chapters.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm accepting Dorian & Elisa prompts!!

Their respite didn’t last very long. In fact, everyone had barely begun their day before the sky turned green and Nolan had dragged Dorian, Elisa, Varric, and Cassandra back to the Conclave. The moment they stepped foot in the ruins, Corypheus rose the earth around them into the sky and before his dragon could attack, Morrigan had tackled it away, leaving Corypheus open to the rest of them. Of course the darkspawn magister aspiring to godhood would not _shut up_. Elisa even looked annoyed as she and Cassandra kept his attention while the ranged fighters kept their distance and supported them with arrows—or magic in Dorian’s case. Any demons that the darkspawn magister summoned were quickly taken out by the ranged fighters before the focus was returned to Corypheus. He eventually fled higher up and Elisa—the acrobatic pain in Dorian’s ass—gave chase. Leaving the others to take the path around.

“Is she insane?!” Cassandra yells to Dorian who rolls his eyes.

When they reached Corypheus again, Elisa was terrorizing him with knives and her stealth, successfully angering the darkspawn further. Dorian knew that she was giving them the opportunity to surprise him, so he took the chance to caste Haste on the party and give them more of an upper hand. He, of course, was going to ground Elisa forever if they survived this. Her recklessness was shaving precious years off of his life.

“Heads up!” Their fight with Corypheus was interrupted by the red lyrium dragon wounding Morrigan and turning on the, giving the magister time to flee again. Thankfully Elisa did not chase after him again and instead turned to the dragon and jumped onto its back. “Now she’s crawling all over an overgrown lizard.” Varric shakes his head.

The dragon did not last long thanks to the wounds Morrigan inflicted on it, as well as Elisa’s experience with dragons. They all had some dragon fights under their belts, but the girl had many more from her home world where dragons also existed from what she had told them. Elisa had taken down quite a few dragons by herself and it made Dorian wonder just how much power the girl was hiding.

“Let it end here. Let the skies boil. Let the world be rent asunder.” Corypheus yells as he uses the orb’s power to begin destroying the Veil.  
“He talks too much.” Elisa grouses.  
“That’s what I said.” Nolan responds as they race up to the darkspawn’s location.

Once there they continued their battle with him, and Dorian nearly laughed with how quickly he fell. Without his army, without his dragon…without everything, he was all bark. Corypheus was nothing, even with the Orb of Destruction…at least until Nolan took it from him and reclosed the Breach. Then the magister might has well have been a simpering baby. It was when Corypheus turned his attention to Elisa that Dorian felt his hackles raise as the mage grabbed her and pushed her behind him.

“You protect something that should not exist. She is barely human.”  
Dorian seethes at him. “She is more human than you ever will be. You do not know her!”  
A weak chuckle. “Neither do you. Her abilities are far more enhanced than she has you believe.”  
Elisa freezes at Corypheus’s words and the mage only smirks. “You insult me. I’ve known from the very beginning.”  
“So now you’re keeping her close for her power.”  
“I keep her close because she is family.” The mage glances at Nolan and the man nods before grabbing Corypheus’s head.  
“You wanted into the Fade?”

The anchor flares to life and opens a rift to suck the darkspawn magister in before it closes again. The party then fled the falling rocks as the earth began to settle.

*******  
“You knew?”

Dorian looks down at Elisa from his standing position at the table and watches her frown into the ale in front of her. Josephine, optimistic that they would succeed, had put together a feast for when they returned. She even got the good swill.

“Yes.”  
“How?”  
“You broke my ribs when I first found you. You lashed out in your sleep.” Dorian sips his wine casually. “Sometimes your eyes glow too.”  
Elisa cringes. “I’m sorry. I should have told you.”  
“I’d rather you apologize for breaking my ribs. Very painful. Healing ribs is a delicate task you know.”  
“I’m sor-“  
“Stop. I was only kidding.” Dorian leans down and bonks his head with hers. “If it truly bothered me, I might have left you in the Hinterlands. You would probably be dead right now.”  
Elisa moves away and looks down at the floor. “…why did you bring me with you? Did my power have anything to do with it?”  
“No. I just saw someone who was terrified and alone…but do you know how you won me over?” The girl looks up at him and the mage smirks. “When you found out about my preferences, you didn’t bat an eye.” Elisa gives him a look of disbelief. “It may have also helped that you treated me like anyone else. You may not have known at the time how our world worked, but you took everything about me in stride. My preferences, my heritage…my magic. You didn’t see and evil Tevinter magister that liked men. You saw a person. That’s when I knew I had to keep you by my side. Your view of life was extremely refreshing.”  
“The people here still surprise me sometimes with their judgements.”  
Dorian rests his hip against the table and cocks his head at her. “I’ve been wondering for a while now…but how did you know I liked men? I never told you but you seemed to pick up on it anyway.”  
Elisa snorts. “Back home, my entire household is full of gay men. I’m the only girl in the house.”  
The mage was sure his eyebrows would have flown off if they weren’t attached to his face. “Just how many are we talking about?”  
“Ten? Some family friends are straight though. They would visit once in a while.”

It was a terrible shame that Dorian could not see her home safely. He probably would have left Tevinter behind and followed her just to see what her world was like. Elisa had mentioned it was more advanced, and even the mage would never want to leave because he would enjoy the plumbing. Whatever that was. Now her household consisted of gay couples? She had lived a life he only dreamed of. 

“Fascinating. Are they handsome?”  
“Dorian…you would be overwhelmed.”  
“Vague and descriptive.” He points to her tankard of ale. “Drink. I don’t want to see you mope anymore. It doesn’t suit you.”  
Elisa rolls her eyes but complies with his demand before looking by his feet. “Where’s Kit?”  
“He must have seen a mouse. It’s one of the only times he’ll leave my side.”

A squeal interrupts the two and Dorian jumps at the sound as he turns to find a serving girl looking at him with a tray at her feet and a couple of spilled tankards. 

“You were at the battle with the Evil One, weren’t you?!”

Dorian opens his mouth to answer but instead finds himself being hugged by the girl. Elisa snickers into her ale behind him and the mage makes a mental note to cuff her as the serving girl pulls away, cleans up her mess, and skitters away with a giggle. 

“The blacksmith says I’m not so bad…now a serving girl hugs me. What’s next? Are we sure the world hasn’t ended?” The mage turns back to the ravenette and flicks her forehead for her earlier laugh.  
“Ow! I thought you knew that people were starting to like you.”  
“No, I just knew that I was starting to _seem_ nice. Nobody actually said anything until recently. Hasn’t anyone said anything to you?”  
“No.”  
Dorian frowns. “Has the Commander talked you?”  
The ravenette blushes. “No.”

Oh she definitely picked up on Cullen’s intentions on the battlements. Dorian looks around for the man and finds him by the entrance to the Great Hall, talking to Nolan. He was stealing glances in their direction, but quickly stopped and rubbed his neck when he noticed the mage was watching. Dorian huffs. Infuriating man.

“Hey pip-squeak!” Both Elisa and Dorian turn their attention to Iron Bull who holds up his tankard to them. “Me and the Chargers are having a drinking game! You in?”  
“That’s not a good idea.” Elisa waves him away.  
“Scared?”  
“Not at all.”  
“Then come here!”  
Elisa looks to Dorian and the man nods to the group. “Put them to shame sorora.”

His adopted sister sighs and leaves his company to join Iron Bull and the Chargers, and Dorian watches the group for the next hour. It surprisingly didn’t take long for most of the group to pass out, so only Iron Bull, Elisa, and Krem were left in their drinking game. It was also then that Nolan finally approached him and followed the mage’s gaze to the game.

He chuckles. “Do they know she can’t get drunk by normal means?”  
“Shh. Don’t spoil it.”  
“Bull might have been suspicious if he hadn’t been drinking.” Krem slumps forward onto the table and Sera eyes him excitedly. The elf had already drawn on the faces of the other unconscious participants, and Krem was her next target. “How long until Iron Bull passes out himself?”  
Dorian rubs his chin thoughtfully. “Three more.”  
“Elisa looks bored.”  
“Undoubtedly. Your Abyssal Peach _might_ give her an edge.”  
“I’ve been saving it for her anyway. I’d like to see her drunk at least once.”  
Dorian snorts. “Good luck with that.”

Sure enough, three tankards of ale later, Iron Bull follows Krem’s example and face plants onto the table, and Elisa stands and walks over to Nolan and Dorian, leaving behind some cheering spectators. The necromancer watches Elisa straighten her top and then smiles at her when she looks up at him.

“I thought he would never pass out.”  
Nolan laughs. “Bored?”  
“Very. The ale lost its flavor ten rounds ago…and I needed to pee five rounds ago.”  
Dorian shoos her away. “You had better go take care of that then.”

Elisa nods and walks away and Cullen walks up to the couple.

“I thought everyone knew that trying to drink her under the table was a pointless endeavor.”  
Dorian shakes his head. “Actually, only the three of us know…and Varric. He made the mistake of trying and Elisa felt guilty enough to tell him afterwards.”  
Cullen glances at the mage with surprise. “Varric hasn’t told anyone else?”  
“I think he was hoping for the game we just watched.” Nolan states before giving the Commander a knowing look. “Cullen.”  
“Inquisitor?”  
“Just when do you plan on holding true to your promise of courting Elisa?”

Cullen coughs into his hand, swiftly walks away, and Dorian laughs. He, Nolan, and the female advisors had been constantly backing the man into a proverbial corner with similar questions to no avail. Even Varric and Cassandra had tried—Cole had tried in his own Compassion spirit way as well—but the Commander had eventually learned to tune them out and walk away. The embarrassment was usually still there though. They had all backed away briefly after his attempts on the battlements, but that had only lasted for about a week before they were back at it again. They were hoping to wear him down enough that he would get fed up and spill the beans to Elisa.

Nolan turns to Dorian. “Would you like to escape the festivities with me for a little while?”  
“Going to have your way with me are you?”  
“Maybe later.” The man’s smile held a promise, and that was enough for the mage.  
“Lead the way Amatus.”

The two head through the door to the Inquisitor’s room and up the stairs in quiet conversation, coming across Kit by the second door, and Dorian scoops him up as Nolan opens the door. For once, the mage was the one to instigate affection to his miserable furball and the fennec drank it in. His coos and head scratches were rewarded with licks and nuzzles from Kit until Dorian eventually sets him on the floor and gives him one last head scratch. 

“That’s enough of that. Go make sure you got all of the mice.”

The mage turns and joins Nolan on the balcony, and finds the man grinning from ear to ear when he mimics his position at the railing.

“Fine. I admit it. The miserable furball has grown on me.”

When the man doesn’t answer, Dorian follows his gaze to the gardens far below them and finds Cullen approaching Elisa at the gazebo. Oh. 

_Oh._

If anyone interrupted them again, Dorian was going to personally find them and burn them alive. There may have been a feast going on, but it was still likely that Cullen would be needed for something. Loose ends and all that. Nothing happened so far though, and the two continued to watch as the Commander stopped in front of Elisa. From their vantage point, neither of them seemed to be talking and it was starting to make the mage anxious. He just wanted something to happen. 

It felt like an eternity passed when Cullen finally closed the space between him and Elisa.

Both Nolan and Dorian release the breaths they didn’t realize they were holding. “If he chickened out, I was going to banish him.”  
Dorian laughs. “I didn’t realize until now how much tension those two had between them. Do you think the rest of Skyhold knows just by feeling?”  
“I wouldn’t be surprised.” The Inquisitor looks at Dorian. “You’re going to torment Cullen some more aren’t you?”  
“It’s his own fault for giving me more to work with.”  
Nolan chuckles before pulling the mage into their own kiss. “I expected nothing less from you.”  
Dorian closes his eyes and silently basks in the moment. “I am going to miss this. Leaving your side will be hard.”  
“Let’s not worry about that right now. We’re together now and we’ll make the most of what time we have left.”  
The mage pulls away to look at his lover fondly. “The things you say Amatus.”

Maker, how he adored this man.

********  
They stayed for a few more months, but no matter how much Dorian wanted to stay with the Inquisitor, he knew he had to go back to the Imperium. Things were not going to change by themselves, and now that he knew the truth about the downfall of the elves, he was even more determined to see his homeland change for the better. Saying goodbye would be hard though. He was afraid that if he tried, he would stay even longer, so he decided that they would leave before the rest of Skyhold was awake. Of course he asked Elisa multiple times if she wanted to stay behind with Cullen, but she just shook her head and went back to whatever she was doing. This was why they were both preparing their horses before the sun had even risen. They made sure not to accumulate too many things so traveling would be easier.

“Enjoying your living scarf Dorian?”  
The mage subconsciously reaches up and pets the fennec that has made his home behind his neck again before going back to his task of packing saddlebags. “One quirk of his that I benefit from. What I don’t understand is how _you_ don’t freeze to death.”  
“Enhancements,” she says simply. “The cold doesn’t bother me like others.”  
“Ah, well Tevinter is much warmer than this. Will you be alright?”  
“I prefer warm weather.”  
Dorian glances at her momentarily. “I’m beginning to think nothing bothers you sorora.”  
Elisa smiles. “There is one thing.”  
“Which would be?”  
“Druffalo spit.”  
The mage pulls a face. “Oh yes. The druffalo.” He tightens the straps on his horse. “Have you finished? We shouldn’t linger much longer or-“

A couple of throats clear and both Dorian and Elisa cringe before turning around to find Cullen and Nolan standing behind them with their arms folded. Of course they wouldn’t be able to slip away quietly. The Inquisitor probably expected it and warned the Commander. Dorian, in a childish maneuver he _might_ apologize for later…points at Elisa.

“It was her idea.”  
Elisa glares at her brother. “It was not!”  
Cullen rubs his eyes with a sigh. “It doesn’t matter whose idea it was.”  
“Why are you trying to leave without saying anything?” Nolan asks.  
“I was trying to make things easier. Leaving is hard enough as it is.” Dorian sighs.  
“Well we’re here now and we will see you off. You have everything you need?” Nolan walks over and searches their bags which Dorian rolls his eyes at.  
“Yes Amatus. We should have enough food to last us to the boat. If not, Elisa can hunt.”  
The girl huffs. “Lazy.”  
Dorian points at her. “I’m the one that will be cooking our meals! You hush!” The mage then smacks Nolan’s hands away from the bags. “I see what you are trying to do! Stop trying to take things out!”  
The man sighs. “It was worth a try.”  
“This is why we tried to leave without you knowing.”  
Cullen rubs the back of his neck as he approaches Elisa and then reaches out to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. “Be careful. I trust Dorian, but the rest of Tevinter…”  
Elisa smiles at him softly. “I’ll be fine. Apparently I’m the one they should be worried about.”  
“Well if you don’t write, I’m sending Inquisition soldiers.”  
Dorian scoffs at the blonde. “That will go over well.”

They said their goodbyes, and even though the mage was trying to avoid it before, it did end up being nice. Painful like he predicted…but nice nonetheless. After triple-checking that Dorian and Elisa had all they needed—and Cullen sneaking a fair amount of Elisa’s favorite chocolate into her bags—they finally mounted their horses. When they finally made it past the gate and were a fair distance away from Skyhold, only then did Dorian heave a heavy sigh and slouch forward. He didn’t want to look back and he was fairly positive that Elisa didn’t want to either. She was doing a good job of keeping her mask up so even Dorian wasn’t sure what she was thinking. So he had to offer one last time.

“You’re sure you don’t want to stay?”  
Elisa sighs. “Dorian…”  
“Skyhold has been your home for almost a year.”

Elisa looks over at him and gives him the fondest smile he had ever seen from her.

“Home is with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: That’s it folks! I know the fight with Corypheus was short, but to be honest, the fight in game was short in the first place. I tried not to rush things too much, but otherwise I really enjoyed writing this and I hope you all enjoyed reading it.  
> I didn’t want to go into too much detail with Elisa’s past and origins because I created her for a different game (kudos to you if you can figure out what) and I didn’t want to turn this into a crossover.  
> I am thinking of possibly continuing this story with events from Trespasser. Let me know in a comment if you would be interested in that.
> 
> Comments are always welcome even if a story is finished!


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